Cucurbita moschata
Origin: Massachusetts
Improvement status: Cultivar
Seeds per packet: ~30
Germination tested 10/2025: 77%
Life cycle: Annual
Waltham is the classic butternut squash, known for its tasty flesh, good productivity, and long storage capability. You can expect four or five 4-5 pound fruits on every plant, if grown in full sun with good soil fertility. Bred in Massachusetts, this variety was an All America Selection winner in 1970, and it is still considered the standard variety by most American farmers. Texture and flavor improves after at least two months of storage. Butternuts are popular for soups, stews, pies, and other desserts, but they're very versatile — so get creative!
This variety is sometimes susceptible to mildew, especially when the weather is wet, but often this only effects the plants after the fruit have fully developed — though if you know mildew is a problem in your garden or field, you might want to consider trying our 'South Anna Butternut', which was developed from a cross between 'Waltham Butternut' and the downy mildew resistant 'Seminole' pumpkin.
Our seed comes from Eileen Wallding and Nicholas Pandjiris at Whistle Down Farm in Hudson, NY.
