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Coyote Gourd

Cucurbita foetidissima

In the Carolinas and Georgia, found in roadsides, other disturbed areas. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition What its natural habitat tells you

68
Strong

Native to Arkansas. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 82%

Height
About 1 foot
Light
Partial shade, Full sun
Soil moisture
Dry to wet
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Bloom
May to August

Not yet recorded · Spread · Life cycle · Leaves

Recorded in 1 Arkansas county.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

15CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AR

Genus host records with ranges including AR · Cucurbita

  • Agrotis ipsilonIpsilon Dart, Black Cutworm, Greasy Cutworm
  • Diaphania hyalinataMelonworm Moth
  • Diaphania nitidalisPickleworm Moth
  • Eichlinia cucurbitaeSquash Vine Borer
  • Estigmene acreaSalt Marsh Moth, Acrea Moth
  • Feltia subgothicaSubgothic Dart
  • Feltia subterraneaSubterranean Dart, Granulate Cutworm
  • Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
  • Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
  • Proxenus mirandaMiranda Moth, Glistening Rustic
Show all 15
  • Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
  • Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
  • Trichoplusia niNi Moth, Cabbage Looper Moth
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
7BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Cucurbita

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
1Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Cucurbita

  • Xenoglossa strenua
Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Cucurbitaceae

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Buffalo Gourd; Calabacilla Loca; Chili Coyote; Foetid Gourd; Missouri Gourd

Conservation status

Arkansas rankSNR
Global rankNot available
AR statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source

In your garden

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How to check your spot

Sources