Pumpkin shoots are the tender growing tips of the squash and pumpkin vine (Cucurbita spp.) — the youngest 15–30 cm of stem with its soft leaves, curling tendrils, buds and sometimes an open flower — harvested and cooked as a leafy green. Mild, grassy and faintly sweet, they are a staple pot herb across sub-Saharan Africa and much of tropical Asia.