'Costata Romanesco' Zucchini

Cucurbita pepo

Origin: Lazio, Italy

Improvement status: Cultivar

Seeds per packet: ~20

Germination tested 11/2025: 90%

Life cycle: Annual 

Costata Romanesco' is an heirloom zucchini from the area around Rome noted for its namesake ribbed appearance ("costata" means ribbed). It's become inreasingly popular among growers and eaters alike for its nutty flavor, high productivity, and even its large edible flowers — great for stuffing, frying, tossing in quesadillas, or adding a splash of color to soups, stews, and stir-fries (the flowers on this variety are also thicker and more robust than most, so they hang on to the fruit longer, even sometimes when the fruit reaches six inches long, and they can be cooked still attached to the fruit, which always looks very appealing). Less watery than most zucchini varieties, 'Costata Romanesco' stands up well to grilling, roasting, or a quick saute. The fruits are best when harvested between 4 and 6 inches, but they remain tender and tasty until up to 18 inches, which well past the point when other zucchinis become spongy or tough. Plants are somewhat intermediate between a bush type and a vine type, usually sending one runner up to 3 or 4 feet. At their peak of production, fruit should be harvested every few days to keep them going.

This seed comes to us from our friends Dylan Bruce and Cody Egan of Driftless Seed Supply in Wisconsin.

GROWING TIPS: Direct-sow after all danger of frost has passed. Leave room for plants to sprawl a bit (4 feet in each direction). Harvest fruit once they reach six inches or so, to keep up production.