Crop type: Courgettes
Cucurbita pepo ‘Parador’
Common name: Courgette ‘Parador’
Crop slug: courgettes
This Allotment Pro editorial draft summarises the cited RHS cultivar profile. Check the source and adjust cultivation decisions for local conditions.RHS cultivar profile
1 - Overview
‘Parador’ is an early-maturing courgette with smooth cylindrical fruits in a distinctive golden yellow. The young fruits combine excellent flavour with a tender texture, offering a conspicuous alternative to conventional green courgettes.
The plant is bushy and clump-forming, carrying solitary golden-yellow star-shaped flowers among large lobed leaves. Regular picking encourages a heavy crop throughout the season. The RHS profile displays the Award of Garden Merit and Plants for Pollinators status.
2 - Size
- Ultimate height
- 0.1–0.5 metre
- Ultimate spread
- 0.5–1 metre
- Time to ultimate size
- 1 year
Allow more width than height: the clump expands into a broad summer plant even though its fruits grow from a central bush rather than long trailing stems.
3 - Growing conditions
- Suitable soils
- Loam and sand
- Moisture
- Well-drained or moist but well-drained
- Soil pH
- Acid or neutral
Use rich fertile soil with free drainage and reliable summer moisture. Organic matter supports the fast leaf growth and repeated production of golden fruits.
4 - Position and hardiness
- Light
- Full sun
- Aspect
- South- or west-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- Hardiness
- H2 — tolerant of cool conditions around 1–5°C but unable to survive freezing
Treat ‘Parador’ as a tender annual. Wait until frost risk has passed before planting outside, and choose the warmest sheltered position available for early fruiting.
5 - Colour and seasonal interest
Golden-yellow star-shaped flowers stand above broad green palmately lobed leaves. The edible fruits develop into smooth bright golden cylinders, making them easy to spot beneath the foliage and clearly distinct from green cultivars.
6 - Botanical details
- Family
- Cucurbitaceae
- Native to Great Britain and Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Clump-forming and bushy
- Name status
- Accepted
Genus
Cucurbita is a small genus of climbing or trailing annual herbaceous fruiting plants native to Central and South America. Cultivated edible species typically have palmately lobed, prickly-haired leaves and solitary golden-yellow star-shaped flowers.
Safety
If any fruit tastes bitter, do not eat it or feed it to pets. Wear gloves and suitable protection when handling if the prickly foliage irritates skin.
7 - How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in rich fertile well-drained soil in full sun. From mid- to late April, sow individual seeds on their sides about 1.5cm deep in pots indoors. Harden plants off before June, then transplant them to their final outdoor positions after frost.
Water at the root, keep the broad leaves dry where possible and begin harvesting while fruits are young. Pick golden courgettes frequently so they retain their excellent texture and the plant continues setting a heavy crop.
Propagation
Propagate by seed.
Suggested locations
- Patio and container plants
- Wildlife gardens
- Sunny vegetable beds
Pruning
No pruning is required. Regular harvesting extends the cropping period; remove only badly damaged or diseased leaves.
Pests
May be susceptible to slugs and snails, particularly while young and around low fruits.
Diseases
May be susceptible to grey moulds and powdery mildews. Maintain spacing, direct water to the roots and remove decaying material promptly.