Oddball zucchini! Different variety or something wrong?

Greentown, IN(Zone 5a)

Hello, fellow gardeners! Yes, yet another question about odd-looking squash/zucchini! It seems like a lot of time and attention is devoted to these plants on this forum. :) Most of my zucchini are just your dark green, "garden-variety" zucchini, and seem healthy and hearty. However, I have one plant that is producing these very strange looking long, extremely slender, and pale green zucchini. The leaves of the plant don't appear noticeably different from the other zucchini plants and all came from the same seed packet (purchased for 10cents at the dollar store!). Should I assume that this is simply a different variety that slipped in or is this a result of something else? Should I eat it??? :) I know this sounds much like a discussion that has been taking place on another thread right now, so sorry for any redundancy!

Thanks, y'all.

Thumbnail by easter_lily
Augusta, GA(Zone 8a)

No problem with eating it. I suspect that the seed got mixed, or the batch of seeds had impure seeds. While it happens to all seed vendors, The cheap seed vendors buy up big lots of seeds that are in oversupply. Their biggest concerns are price and germination. Seed purity probably does not cross their mind. It is becoming a problem with open pollinated seed in general. When growers used them, the companies provided more expensive certified seed. You almost never find those today.

Greentown, IN(Zone 5a)

Thanks, Farmerdill. I was hoping you'd be here to offer up a good explanation, and you certainly did. You're a priceless resource for all of us beginners!

Tuscaloosa, AL(Zone 7b)

Well, it looks a lot like a zucchini I have growing called Salman.

Karen

Clatskanie, OR(Zone 9b)

I saved seeds from a hybrid zuccinnii one year, and grew them the next.
I got long vines and every plant had a different shape of squash. Nobody knew what to do with them. Are they winter squash or not. lol Frank

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