Tacaco
Sechium tacaco
A ridged little squash found only in Costa Rica, boiled and eaten like a vegetable.
Hardiness: zones 10 to 12
Light: full sun to part shade
Size: about 20 ft tall, 6 ft wide
Harvest: June to October
From: Costa Rica's Central Valley
Here: Too tender to overwinter outdoors on the Lake Erie shore (zone 6b to 7a): grow it in a pot and bring it in, or treat it as an annual.
Good for: food, pollinators.
Native to: Mexico, Central America & the Caribbean. Hardy in zones 10 to 12.
The story
Tacaco is a vine of the Costa Rican and Panamanian highlands, grown in the Central Valley since before the Spanish; its green, ribbed fruit is boiled and eaten like a squash, and it is so rare outside Costa Rica that conservationists list it as near-threatened in the wild.
Planting
Part shade or sun, moist rich soil, and a cool, humid, frost-free highland climate; a trellis or tree to climb. Plant seed or a cutting.
Growing
Keep moist and mulched; it is a vigorous perennial vine. Prune to keep it in bounds.
Harvest and use
Pick the green fruit young; boil until tender and eat with salt or in picadillo. Mature fruit is fibrous.
What to watch for
Heat, drought and frost.
See if Tacaco fits your yard
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More perennial vegetables, greens and herbs
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home