Cucurbita moschata is a species originating in the tropical Americas [2] which is cultivated for edible flesh, flowers, greens, and seeds.

C. moschata also exhibit a greater resistance to certain disease and insects, notably including to the squash vine borer.

All species of squashes and pumpkins are native to the Western Hemisphere, and the ancestral members of the genus Cucurbita were present in the Americas before humans.

[3] Squash are important food plants of the original people of the region, ranking next to maize and beans in many precolonial American economies.

The greatest diversity among C. moschata populations can be found in the tropical Americas, suggesting a center of origin in that region.