I saved seeds from my own zucchini to plant the next year: the day I tasted a bitter one, I found out what had crossed into my garden
A perfect-looking zucchini from my own saved seeds turned dangerously bitter—and one taste revealed a genetic surprise caused by an invisible bee. This is the story of toxic squash syndrome, how cross-pollination rewakes ancient plant toxins, and why ignoring that bitterness could mean three days of severe illness.