Ok it will not be a zucchini. Ther are two zucchini substitutes that are frequently used when one wants a vine or to avoid SVB. Tromboncino (C. moschata) which is actually a member of the butternut squash family. http://www.territorialseed.com/product/1100/220 and Cucuzzi (Lagenaria siceraria) an edible gourd.http://www.amazon.com/Edible-Italian-Gourd-Seeds-Untreated/dp/B004EG5ZRY http://onaleeseeds.bizhosting.com/cucuzzi_lagenaria_siceraria_seeds_italian_edible_gourd_squash.html

Thanks so much, that tromboncino looks like it will fill the bill. I also found in another catalog "zucchetta" which is probably something similar.

What I remembered seeing in a magazine was long but curved green squashes hanging from an arbored vine. And yes, it was stated that it was resistant to SVB.

Thanks!

vaherbmom take a look and read all the reviews for this squash at Cornell University's Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners site. The reviews will answer some of your questions and musings.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cornell University's Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners

The rave reviews at the Cornell site really say it all, but I figured I'd throw in my $.02 on this one. A few years ago I saved seed from a farmer's market squash of the trombicino type suggested by farmerdill (it is slightly different in that the fruits are dark green in summer, maturing to a tan color late in the season), and I've been thrilled with this squash in my garden. 2 seasons ago I had 2 vines, and a glut of summer squash so I let all the fruits mature to winter squash. The vines remained healthy long after everything else succumbed to powdery mildew, SVB and other diseases and I harvested 28 mature fruits, averaging 5-6 pounds each. I prefer their flavor over butternuts.

Last summer I somehow allowed my 4 lovely seedlings to dry out and die, and then never got around to planting new ones. My husband noticed a few weeks later that the fruit on one of the volunteers I'd allowed to grow out of my compost pile looked like a butternut, and I was thrilled to discover it was actually the Italian heirloom. That one hardy vine was the only squash plant that survived the SVB this year, so I harvested most of the fruits as tender summer squash, and discovered that both me and my husband love the flavor and texture of this squash when it it young and tender. The fruits I overlooked when they were young were left to mature, and I harvested 4 tan fruits and 3 still-green large fruits as frost threatened last fall. I peeled and cooked one of the green fruits last week and it was still keeping well, roasted nicely, and tasted delicious (perhaps a little less sweet than the fully mature fruits).

I probably will try growing some of my leftover seed from other summer squash varieties, but I'll be happy as long as I have 1-2 plants of the tromboncino type, and may well stop trying to grow anything else once my old seed is gone.

Happy gardening!

This summer squash is sold under several names, by a fair number of seed companies. I've grown two of them, "Tromboncino" (which I purchased from SSE) and "Zucchetta Rampicante Tromboncino" (from Pinetree). There are other synonyms also. While the two names I grow are technically synonymous, there are slight differences between the cultivars. Personally, while I consider them to be an outstanding summer squash, I find their quality as a winter squash inferior.

The vines are aggressive climbers, and can be trained to a trellis. Make it strong & high, the vines can easily exceed 10 feet or more. Left to run on the ground, the stems will root at the nodes, and the vines will be even more vigorous & branch heavily. Since I have the space, letting them run is my preferred method. When the branches begin to bear in late Summer, the yield is incredible; I freeze a year's worth from 5-8 plants.

A hint on finding sources. The Cornell page in the link above has a tailored search engine, targeted specifically to locate sources. It will be filled in with the name at the top as the default, but you can also in type the various synonyms there, to locate additional sources.