Green Lightening Squash is one of a handful of vegetables that were recently presented with the All-America Selections Award for 2025. It’s actually the second squash to receive the National Award for an edible variety this year. But unlike that other squash (you can read about Squash Thriller here), Green Lightening is a summer squash, and not a more thick-skinned winter type.

When I was a kid, there were two types of squash in the garden—zucchini, the long green ones and the yellow, which my mother called summer squash. I would say, “Any thin-skinned squash of any shape and size is a summer squash, Mom,” but you know? Let her have her naming systems. Whatever you call them, they are delicious.

Yes, Green Lightening is summer squash. It is also a type of squash called a patty pan, and that is based on the fruit’s shape. If you held it up, with the stalk on top, it almost has an acorn shape. But wait! Acorn squash is a totally different squash. Let’s look at it again. Squint your eyes a big, imagine it a completely steel gray color, and it has a similarity to the UFOs you’d see in 1950s sci-fi movies. Maybe that’s just me.

Characteristics of Squash Green Lightening

Green Lightening was judged by a folks who run trial gardens throughout the U.S. and Canada, and only “the best of the best” are given these awards. The fact that it won a National Award means it outperformed currently available varieties that are close comparisons.

When trialing Green Lightening, this variety matured and produced fruit much more quickly than comparisons. Expect to have fruit within 50 days of sowing seeds —even faster (just 40 days) if planting transplants. Fruits average 1 to 2 pounds.

Judges were also impressed with its appearance and taste—both, to them, exceling compared to other varieties. It’s light- and medium-green striated skin was attractive and glossy—“pretty enough to use as a decoration,” one judge said. A bowl of them is just beautiful on a kitchen counter. And when cooked, Green Lightening had a robust flavor that stood up to seasonings. It also had a small seed cavity—meaning more of it to eat!

How to Grow

Grow Green Lightening like any other squash. It’s a spreader (up to 3 ft.) so plant it in the ground and not in containers. Sow seeds or plant transplants about 24 in. apart in a sunny area that you can water easily and on a regular basis. And even though it is a spreading vine, the plant does grow to be about 2 ft. tall.

One judge did note that because it was quick to produce, Green Lightening could possibly be planted a week or two later than you would typically plant summer squashes. This, the judge said, could help the plant avoid insects, “although these plants did not experience as much [insect] devastation as other crops.”

You have options when it comes to harvesting. You can harvest at any stage of growth. Perhaps you like the tenderness of a squash that still has its bloom attached. Go for it. A full-sized Green Lightening squash is about 5 inches. One way to judge if it is ready to harvest is to hold it in your palm. If it’s smaller than your palm, then you’ll enjoy Green Lightening at its most tender stage.