You know what I’m talking about — the strange, bumpy things you see every fall. They’re piled high at all the stores, squatting on front porches, or sitting in a bowl your friend insists is “autumnal.” But seriously, what is a gourd? Why do we keep buying these things? Why are they so beautiful and interesting? And more importantly, who’s out there growing them?

Let’s start with the basics: a gourd is a hard-shelled plant in the Cucurbitaceae family — the same one that includes pumpkins, cucumbers, zucchini, and even watermelon. Unlike its edible relatives, though, a gourd is mostly grown for decoration. They aren’t destined for the dinner table. They’re like the moody artist cousin of the pumpkin.

Why do gourds look so weird?

All those lumps, bumps, and twisted shapes? That’s just the way they grow. When farmers grow gourds, they’re not after symmetry. The stranger, the better. People want their gourds to look like nature’s little abstract art pieces. Think about it: If gourds were smooth and normal-looking, would we care about them? Probably not.

Who grows these things?

Turns out, there are farms dedicated to producing gourds. Places like Jubilee Farm in Carnation grow them on purpose. Gordon Skagit Farms in Skagit Valley is another local farm where you can grab some strange and colorful gourds. 

Perfectly weird and wonderfully warty gourds at Gordon Skagit Farms

Photo courtesy of Garden Skagit Farms

If you’re curious to grow your own (or just want to learn more), the University of Washington has a handy guide on growing ornamental gourds. They recommend planting them after the last frost and giving them plenty of space to sprawl out. Gourds need about 100 to 180 days to fully mature, depending on the type, so this is a long-term commitment. And for a little extra trick: You can control the shape a bit by turning them every so often as they grow.

Who’s behind Washington’s gourd scene?

If you’re wondering whether there’s a deeper culture behind these kooky little plants, there absolutely is. There’s the Washington State Gourd Society, an entire organization dedicated to gourds. They host annual festivals, workshops, and even competitions where people show off their beautiful gourd art. The society is divided into regional groups called “patches,” and they meet regularly. Our local groups, like the Mineral Gem Patch (Mount Rainier), Foothills Patch (South Puget Sound), and North Sound Gourd Patch are just a few.

On a national level, there’s the American Gourd Society, a nonprofit organization founded in 1937 that provides resources for gourd growers, artists, and crafters all across the U.S. The AGS runs gourd competitions, offers tutorials on crafting with gourds, and even publishes The Gourd Magazine, a quarterly journal that gets into everything from growing tips to intricate gourd art techniques. 

What do we do with them?

Historically, gourds have been multi-purpose powerhouses — people use them for everything from bowls and utensils to musical instruments. We carve, burn, paint, and weave gourds into everything from bowls to sculptures. Almost every culture has musical instruments made of gourds! In West Africa, they’re used to make the balafon, a xylophone-like instrument where hollowed-out gourds amplify the sound. There’s also the Mbira, or kalimba, a thumb piano made from a gourd with metal tines attached. Players pluck the tines with their thumbs to create soft, melodic tones. 

A traditional wooden balafon with gourd resonators.

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons

Who needs a designer bag when you can rock a gourd-geous original?

Photo by Buntes Licht / Unplash

Beautiful hand-painted gourds.

Photo by Raimond Klavins / Unplash

The conclusion?

Gourds aren’t just some accidental byproduct of the squash family — they’re grown on purpose. While they’ve served many roles throughout history, today they’re great at making a basic house look festive. Sometimes we just need a weird, warty plant to remind us that not everything has to make sense to be wonderful.