Cucurbita pepo species links Halloween and Día de Muertos pumpkins

The pumpkins used for Mexican ‘calabaza en tacha’ and American Halloween decorations belong to the same biological species, Cucurbita pepo. While cultural traditions distinguish them, botanical classifications link them to a single lineage.

Archaeological evidence suggests that Cucurbita pepo was the first plant cultivated in Mesoamerica. Ancient seeds discovered in the Guilá Naquitz cave in Oaxaca date back between 8,300 and 10,000 years. Other significant remains have been found in Tehuacán, Puebla, and Tamaulipas.

According to CONABIO, recent studies indicate two independent domestication centers for this subspecies in North America: one in Tamaulipas, Mexico, and another in the southwestern United States.