11 Heirloom Zucchini Varieties You Should Grow This Season
Summer is here, and we're growing plenty of beautiful zucchini in our vegetable gardens. Heirloom varieties offer the best flavor and adaptability, and you can save your seeds for next year! Here are some of our favorite heirloom zucchini varieties.
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Zucchini is a popular crop for many reasons. It’s versatile in the kitchen, nutritious, and also among the easiest and fastest-maturing vegetables you can grow! You can grill, roast, bake, sauté, or even make zoodles with them for a healthy alternative to pasta.
Zucchini is technically a summer squash, low in calories but rich in vitamin C, manganese, potassium, and antioxidants. Rich in fiber, it aids digestion and helps bolster your immune system by nourishing a healthy gut microbiome. Even their flowers are edible. You can stuff them and fry them for a tasty and beautiful treat.
The plants are easy to grow, preferring full sun and space to spread out. Each plant will produce a substantial number of fruits, and even beginners will have an easy time with them. They grow well in containers and smaller space gardens, and bees will come flocking to their nectar-rich blossoms.
When it comes to buying seeds, heirloom is the way to go for most vegetables, and zucchini is no exception. Heirloom plants are often prized for superior flavor and plant resilience. Not to mention, you can save the seeds and plant them next season. Because heirloom plants are open-pollinated, they will breed true to their original characteristics.
Here are some of our favorite heirloom zucchini varieties for your garden!
‘Black Beauty’
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botanical name Cucurbita pepo ‘Black Beauty’ |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 2-3′ |
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hardiness zones 3-11 |
‘Black Beauty’ zucchini is one of the classic and most popular varieties, lauded for its rich flavor and strong, reliable productivity. It’s a compact type that forms a shrubby plant of about two to three feet tall with a slightly wider spread.
As the name implies, ‘Black Beauty’ has deep green, glossy fruits that appear nearly black. They are straight and cylindrical with thin, edible skin. Pick these while they are young, at a length of six to eight inches, for a mild, slightly nutty flavor.
‘Lungo Fiorentino’
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botanical name Cucurbita pepo ‘Lungo Fiorentino’ |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 2-3′ |
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hardiness zones 3-11 |
‘Lungo Fiorentino’ zucchini is a standout variety that has authentic Italian flavor. It’s a visually appealing plant with a long and productive season. You’re sure to get a bountiful harvest from this heirloom variety. The long, pale green fruits have darker green stripes and tender skin. The flesh is creamy with a mild taste.
The plants are semi-vining, with a more sprawling habit than a shrubby one. Harvest your ‘Lungo Fiorentino’ zucchinis at about six to ten inches long for the best flavor. Additionally, this variety is renowned for being one of the best-tasting! It is ideal for traditional Italian recipes.
‘Dark Green’
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botanical name Cucurbita pepo ‘Dark Green’ |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 2-3′ |
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hardiness zones 3-11 |
‘Dark Green’ is a classic and well-known heirloom zucchini variety. It has a reputation for its dependable yield, gorgeous color, and versatility in the kitchen. Compact bushes produce tons of straight, glossy green fruits that have tender skin and creamy, white flesh.
If you’re looking for a classically mild and nutty flavor, harvest these when they’re six to eight inches long. They are tender enough to eat raw and make an excellent choice for beginners. You’ll see fruit production in as little as two months, so it’s suitable for impatient gardeners, too!
‘Cocozelle’
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botanical name Cucurbita pepo ‘Cocozelle’ |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 2-3′ |
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hardiness zones 3-11 |
‘Cocozelle’, also called ‘Cocozelle di Napoli’, is a classic Italian heirloom zucchini with a stunning striped appearance and rich, nutty flavor. This is a semi-vining cultivar that matures in as few as 50 days from seed. It’s considered more flavorful than most, with a slight sweetness to its firm flesh.
The fruits are long and slender with a slightly bulbous end. Like ‘Lungo Fiorentino,’ they’re also dark green with lighter stripes and a somewhat ribbed appearance. Harvest them at six to ten inches long for optimal tenderness.
‘Costata Romanesco’
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botanical name Cucurbita pepo ‘Costata Romanesco’ |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 2.5-3.5′ |
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hardiness zones 3-11 |
‘Costata Romanesco’ is a beloved Italian heirloom zucchini variety renowned for its exceptional flavor, attractive ribbed appearance, and high productivity. It’s another long-time favorite among gardeners and chefs. It offers an excellent combination of taste and tradition with a sweet, rich flavor that ranks among the best-tasting zucchinis.
The long, club-shaped fruits often have a slight curve. They are firm and slightly crisp, with a nutty flavor. They have the optimal flavor and texture between six and ten inches long, but they remain tender even when left on the vine longer.
‘Striata d’Italia’
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botanical name Cucurbita pepo ‘Striata d’Italia’ |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 2-3′ |
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hardiness zones 3-11 |
‘Striata d’Italia’ is a classic heirloom zucchini loved for its tender flesh, striking striped skin, and excellent flavor. It’s a favorite in traditional Mediterranean gardens and kitchens. This bush type has an open structure that makes harvesting easy. It’s quick to mature, bearing within two months from seed.
The light green fruits have deep green, vertical stripes and a slightly tapered end. The skin is thin, and the flesh is tender and mild with a sweet and nutty flavor. It’s best to harvest them at about six to eight inches, but this variety remains tasty even if you allow it to grow larger.
‘Nero di Milano’
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botanical name Cucurbita pepo ‘Nero di Milano’ |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 2-3′ |
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hardiness zones 3-11 |
‘Nero di Milano’ means “Black of Milan,” and is a traditional heirloom variety of zucchini. It’s prized for its deep, dark green skin, compact growth habit, and excellent flavor. It’s one of Italy’s most popular and widely grown varieties. The two to three-foot bush-type plants mature in as few as 50 days from seed.
The fruits, as you might imagine, are exceptionally dark green, almost black. They have smooth skin that is firm but tender, and creamy, mild-tasting flesh. This variety stands up well to cooking, and the fruits are straight and uniform.
‘Genovese’
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botanical name Cucurbita pepo ‘Genovese’ |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 2-3′ |
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hardiness zones 3-11 |
‘Genovese’ zucchini is a tasty heirloom variety of zucchini, known for its early production, tender texture, and delicate flavor. It originates from the Genoa region, where it’s grown for home and market use. The compact bushes have an open form and grow to about three feet tall. Better yet, they bear mature fruit in as few as 45 days from seed!
The cylindrical, slightly tapered fruits have light to medium green skin with faint stripes. The skin is thin and delicate, and the flesh is particularly sweet and mild. It’s best suited for eating raw or using in lightly cooked dishes. The plants are also very easy to manage and produce an excellent yield.
‘Bianca Goriziana’
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botanical name Cucurbita pepo ‘Bianca Goriziana’ |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 1.5-2.5′ |
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hardiness zones 3-11 |
‘Bianca Goriziana’ zucchini is an Italian heirloom variety from the northeastern region of Italy. It’s often valued for its early maturity, small plant size, and tender, pale-colored fruit. The plants are more compact than most, growing to a maximum of two and a half feet. This is among the earliest maturing varieties, and you may have ripe fruits in as little as 40 days!
The fruits are pale green, almost ivory, and have slight speckling. They are slender and straight with delicate skin and soft, creamy flesh. The fruits are tender and best for lightly cooked dishes. Their flavor is sweet and buttery.
‘Tondo di Piacenza’
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botanical name Cucurbita pepo ‘Tondo di Piacenza’ |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 2-3′ |
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hardiness zones 3-11 |
‘Tondo di Piacenza’ is an heirloom zucchini known for its unique round fruits, compact growth habit, and excellent flavor. It’s named for its place of origin, and originates from the Piacenza region in northern Italy. The compact bushes produce uniform, round fruits in about 50-60 days.
The shape of these fruits is the main attraction. They’re small and round, like a ball, with deep green skin and lighter speckles. Harvest these when they are about three to four inches in diameter. The skin is thin, and the flesh is flavorful with a slight sweetness.
‘Bolognese’
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botanical name Cucurbita pepo ‘Bolognese’ |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 2-3′ |
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hardiness zones 3-11 |
Hailing from the Bologna region, ‘Bolognese’ is a traditional heirloom variety. It has a reputation for its early maturity, with fruits ready to harvest in about 45 to 50 days. They produce a substantial number of them over a long season.
The plants are compact, making them great for containers and raised beds. Their tender texture and excellent flavor make them a favorite for both gardeners and chefs. The fruits are short and stout, medium green, and lightly speckled. The skin is thin and smooth, and the tender flesh is mild and sweet.
