GOURD FACTS: The yellow-flowered gourd is native to northern Mexico and eastern North America and has long been cultivated. Yellow-flowered gourds are chiefly used as ornamentals. Many of the smaller fruits are naturally banded, striped, or mottled in various shades of yellow and green, while the solid-white ones may be painted to suit the decorator’s taste. Others are warted, and some are valued for their bizarre shapes. Nest egg, pear-shaped, spoon, and ladle gourd are common names for some forms of this species. The large, triangular-shaped leaves of gourds are often deeply lobed. Both stems and leaves are covered with short bristles for protection against invertebrate predators. The flowers are large and showy. Both male and female flowers are borne on the same plant, but the male flowers appear about a week before the female flowers and are located toward the ends of the runners.