31/08/2026
Toxic Squash Syndrome affects plants from the cucurbitaceae (cucumber) family.
This includes courgette, squash, cucumbers, and melons. If you eat any of those vegetables and they are bitter, spit it out.
High levels of cucurbitacin, which cause toxic squash syndrome or cucurbitacin poisoning, occur when a squash,courgettes, cucumbers or melons cross pollinated, If the seeds are saved the resulting plants grown can produce toxic vegetables.
Symptoms can be as mild normal food poisoning but if a lot is consumed it can result in complete hair loss two week after the initial poisoning. This happened to two ladies in France after eating pumpkin š soup.
Unfortunately, it has resulted in the death of a German gentleman in 2015.
We have had three visitor to Poison in the Garden who have told us their stories of how they have been poisoned by toxic squash syndrome.
