Diane,
Go the the link below and then go down to green striped Cushaw Squash. That is the only variety off the top of my head I can think of that might fit the bill. I'm sure Dawn, Carol and others may add something I didn't think of. Jay

Here is a link that might be useful: Striped Cushaw Squash

I thought of the same one Jay did and I don't know of another.

I also thought immediately of green and white striped cushaw, although it isn't a true crookneck squash in the way that yellow crooknecks are. It is more like a neck pumpin and, in a year with good rainfall, they get simply huge. In 2004 the ones I grew were so huge (it was a really rainy year) that they pulled down the fence on which they were climbing. I would just bet this is the one the 4-H leader was referring to.

There are some vegetable marrows/cougettes in Great Britain with green and white striping, but all the ones I've ever seen are straight with no crook in the neck.

There are some Italian striped zucchini varieties that might be mistake for a crookneck, but I wouldn't think they'd be regarded as an old type of squash here. They are not necessarily curved like a crookneck either, though sometimes they can curve, especially as they get larger. Zucchetta Tromba d'Albenga is one but there are several others that can get a bit of a crookneck. I don't think of them as crooknecks though.

Also, the Long Island Seed Project and others have been involved in breeding projects that may give some unstable results that include green and white or yellow and white or green and yellow and white summer squash, but I am not sure if any of them are crooknecks, or if they are known to the general gardening public.

I'm still betting it is cushaw (there are gold and white stiped as well as solid white ones too if you're wanting to grow some big, pretty cushaws), but I'm going to link Tromba d'Albenga just because it is so interesting to look at.

Here is a link that might be useful: Zucchetta Tromba d'Albenga

Dawn I received seeds from someone several years ago of a dwarf type cushaw squash. I never grew them as the only squash I usually grow are straight neck and spaghetti and on occasion a smaller Hubbard type. And haven't seen them in my inventory in a few years and have never seen them advertised anywhere. So can't say for sure if they were or not. Jay

Hey Diane, Just tell them to wait a couple of years. With you landrace agenda, surely you will have something that looks like that soon. grin

The only squash I've ever seen that's green and white are 'Bush Delicata' but they are more white with green stripes. James

I believe that Jay hit it with his suggestion. Over the years I've grown a couple cushaws. They are from the c. argyrosperma family. Anyway, there are a good many different (varieties?) strains out there. I've mainly grow white ones, and I've had at least four distinct strains of those. The green and white striped variation is the most common. In Tahlequah, our own Burgess Farm Market sells seed for this from a bin.

All of the cushaws I've met are rampant growers, not noted for the best quality flesh. Though, the white cushaw we grew last year showed itself exceedingly tenacious, producing more than 40 lb of good usable winter squash when planted late, in less than a good spot, during a year that squash bugs nearly wiped out all our squash and we had the worst heat and drought of our lives. I received seed for this particular white cushaw from a GW member who raises squash for sale, in IL. She commented, that in last summers terrible conditions that this and Tahitian Melon Squash were the two which distinguished themselves most, under those conditions.

Having said that their eating quality is not the highest, I should add, that no one in our home had any complaints with what we harvested last fall. It's just that butternut and cheese types have a darker orange flesh, and cushaw flesh generally runs more yellow in color. It can also be kind of stringy, though what we harvested, when we harvested it, was hardly stringy. I'll include a link to a special recipe for cooking cushaw.

I'll be growing this white cushaw again. And I hope to make it a permanent part of our collection. Back in 1983 or 84 my wife's grandparents gave us one of these, they had picked up at a road side stand somewhere near their home in Salem, IL. We grew it until going to Mexico in 1988, dubbing it "Salem White Cushaw." I distributed seed through Seed Savers Exchange. But, alas, the seed was lost by the time we returned to the USA. The only place I could find it mentioned was in a seed conservancy, I believe in Long Island. But they never responded to any of my inquiries. All that to say, we feel like the white cushaw is part of our family heritage.

While rambling, I'll mention a couple more matters of trivia about cushaws. 1) They and other strains//varieties of c. argyrosperma squash are more common in hot, dry regions of Mexico than here in the USA. 2) In Mexico there are a LOT more c. argyrosperma squash, mainly in the form of landraces, floating around. 3) Many of them are mainly grown for their seed (pepitas), as they are large and meaty. 4) A member of the Seed Savers Exchange has, for years, offered a white cushaw, grown on their family farm since great great great grandparents received seed from Abraham Lincoln's parents, back in the early pioneer days of IL. So, I am pretty sure that white cushaws have a long history in that region. 5)When I was in my early teens my family visited Mesa Verde National park and saw the cliff dwellings there. On display were remains of cushaw squash, which apparently were used by those people both for food and as a gourd. 6) My experience with c. argyrosperma squash is that they are at least as resistant to borers as any c. moschata. 7)As far as I can tell there is no difference in table quality between white, green striped or gold striped cushaws. And finally, 8) I have always thought that with the right person, under the right circumstances, it would be the greatest of practical jokes to slip a cushaw seed into their newly planted zucchini planting! The newly sprouted plants look very similar, yet a cushaw will often sprawl as much as 50', producing huge vines, leaves and fruit.

George
Tahlequah, OK

Here is a link that might be useful: Sandhill Preservation Cushaw Recipe

George,
Thanks so much for the info. Like I said I have never grown them. The only reason I knew what they were is I did a few searches after receiving the seeds a few years ago and decided not to grow them.I wish I could find the seeds. Not sure he said anything about fruit shape, size or color. Just that it was a dwarf cushaw squash as I remember. After your post and reading some at Native seeds again this morning I'm not sure what he meant by dwarf. As everywhere I found said vigourous, fast growing and rampant vines. After I posted I thought I should of mentioned Sandhill and Native seeds as they would probably have more info and varieties than anyone else. Jay

Cocozella Di Napoli

Introduced in 1934, Cocozella is a classic zucchini 10-12 in., with dark and pale green stripes, mottled with creamy flecks. Flesh is greenish white, firm, and flavorful. Fruits can be harvested very young, but will remain tender, even at 10 in. Heavy producer. Bush plant.

Below is a LINK to the Landreth Seed Co. They sell only Heirloom variety seeds, bulbs and etc. I bought their Cocozella Squash. Delicious variety and beautiful. Very prolific.

I think these may be what you are seeking.
~Annie

Here is a link that might be useful: I've grown these - Cocozella Squash

Thanks, all! I sent her a link to the cushaw and, yep, that was it. I could not think of a thing when she first asked but I had my head stuck on summer squash at the time.

50', huh? Wow!! I think I like George's idea of slipping a couple of seeds into someone's zucchini patch! LOL!

I've never like winter squash so haven't grown any of them much. I've tried & tried to make myself like them but blech. I just don't care for sweet veggies much.

Diane

Diane, Al is the same way about winter squash, which is a surprise because he likes every other vegetable. He would be happy if the only winter squash that I planted was spaghetti squash. Now, he does like pumpkin pie, so I guess I have to count that one.

Al has great taste -- I knew I liked the guy for a reason! Well, except for the pumpkin pie. Ptooey!

Diane