Dark Star Zucchini Seeds

Cucurbita pepo The Dark Star zucchini was bred through a collaborative effort led by Bill Reynolds, an organic farmer based in Northern California. Facing challenges with seed availability for a favoured zucchini hybrid, Reynolds initiated a breeding project alongside Dr. John Navazio and the Organic Seed Alliance to develop an open-pollinated zucchini with desirable qualities similar to commercial hybrids. This effort culminated in Dark Star, a variety known for its excellent drought tolerance, high yields, and robust disease resistance, making it ideal for dry-farming methods, which Reynolds practiced on his farm in Humboldt County, California.

The development process for Dark Star included crossing the productive hybrid “Raven” with the flavourful heirloom “Black Beauty,” balancing productivity with taste and resilience. After six years of selection, the result was a high-yield zucchini with a unique open plant structure, allowing for easy harvesting and long-lasting productivity. This variety remains popular among organic farmers and home gardeners alike, particularly in regions with water scarcity, due to its capacity to thrive in minimal irrigation conditions.

Its dark green, glossy fruits are abundant, uniform, and slightly ribbed, with a rich, mild flavour that’s excellent for fresh eating, grilling, or sautéing. The open growth habit of Dark Star makes harvesting easier, and the plant is less prone to mildew compared to other zucchini varieties.

I grew this variety 100% dry farmed in 2024. I planted the seeds in the soil and let nature take care of the rest. I was amazed at how well the plants did as we had heat waves and drought. I was also pleased that after self pollinated all the plants, they continued to produce fruit for me to enjoy all season. Technically it is not an heirloom variety, however, I feel that the dry farming abilities of this zucchini is worth growing and saving.

This is an amazing variety that produces great zucchini all season long.

Soil Temperature for Germination: 21 degrees Celsius; Planting Depth: 1/2 inch; Plant Spacing: 36” apart in rows 5-6 ft. apart; Days to Germination: 6-10; Full Sun; Moderate Water.

These Zucchini seeds are available directly from Garden Faerie Botanicals in the heart of British Columbia, Canada. The collection features heirloom and heritage seeds that are personally cultivated organically without the use of any chemicals. Emphasizing historical, rare, non-GMO seeds, this selection preserves biodiversity through open-pollination.