Was this cucumber plant actually a zucchini?

The plant in the photo looks like zucchini. Zucchini plants tend to grow in a bushier shape, while cucumbers usually send out longer trailing or climbing vines. The leaves can look similar, so the overall growth habit and the fruit are better clues.

Flowers can help, but they won’t necessarily tell you which kind of squash it is. A female flower has a tiny undeveloped fruit right behind the petals. A male flower sits on a thinner stalk without that little swelling. Cucumbers often produce plenty of male flowers before female ones show up.

If it is zucchini, you still have plenty of options. Shred it for fritters or bread, slice it into pasta, or cut it into chips for pickling. If you were planning to use cucumber in a dip, cooked and cooled zucchini can work as a substitute too.