Pumpkins are a versatile, flavorful winter squash, and they’re surprisingly easy to grow. Often, the hardest part of growing pumpkins is deciding which type of pumpkin is best suited for your particular needs and available growing space. Read on to learn about different kinds of pumpkins, and common pumpkin varieties.
Pumpkin Varieties and Types
Mini pumpkin varieties, weighing in at 2 pounds (1 kg.) or less, are easy to grow and perfect for decorating. Small pumpkins ranging from 2 to 8 pounds (1-4 kg.) and midsize pumpkins weighing 8 to 15 pounds (4-7 kg.) are ideal for pies and great for painting or carving. At 15 to 25 pounds (7-11 kg.) and up, big pumpkins are often good for pies and make impressive jack o’ lanterns. Giant pumpkin varieties, which weigh at least 50 pounds (23 kg.) and often much, much more, tend to be tough and stringy and are usually grown for exclusive bragging rights.
Mini Pumpkin Varieties
- Baby Boo – Creamy white, edible or decorative on creeping vines
- Bumpkin – Bright orange pumpkin, compact vines
- Munchkin – Bright orange ornamental pumpkin, climbing vines
- Baby Pam – Bright, deep orange on vigorous vines
- Casperita – Larger mini with attractive white rind, resistant to powdery mildew
- Crunchkin – Medium orange, flecked with yellow, slightly flat shape, large vines
- We-Be-Little – Bright orange, baseball-size on compact, bush-like vines
- Hooligan – Orange mottled with green and white, excellent ornamental on compact vines
Small Pumpkin Varieties
- Cannon Ball – Smooth, round, rusty orange, powdery mildew-resistant
- Blanco – Round, pure white on medium vines
- Early Abundance – Uniform round shape, dark orange color on full vines
- Mischief – Round, deep orange, semi-vining plants
- Spooktacular – Smooth, deep orange on large, aggressive vines
- Triple Treat – Round, bright orange, ideal for pies or carving
- Trickster – Deep orange, great for decorating or pies, semi-bush vines
Midsize Pumpkin Varieties
- Autumn Gold – Round/rectangular shape, deep orange rind, vigorous vines
- Bushkin – Light yellow rind, compact plant
- Spirit – Round, bright orange on short vines
- Young’s Beauty – Hard rind, dark orange, large vines
- Ghost Rider – Dark orange fruit on large vines, highly productive vines
- Jackpot – Glossy, round, medium orange on compact vines
Big Pumpkin Varieties
- Aladdin – Dark orange, resistant to powdery mildew, vigorous vines are semi-full
- Dependable – Tall, round, bright orange on large, vigorous vines
- Full Moon – Smooth, white
- Gladiator – Round, deep orange on vigorous vines
- Happy Jack – Dark orange, symmetrical shape
- Cinderella – Globe-shaped, yellow orange, compact vines
- Jumpin’ Jack – Tall, deep orange on large, vigorous vines
Giant Pumpkin Varieties
- Big Moose – Reddish orange, round to oval shape on large, vigorous vines
- Big Max – Rough, reddish orange skin, nearly round on very large vines
- Mammoth Gold – Orange rind mottled with pink, rounded shape, large vines
- Prizewinner – Dark orange, standard pumpkin shape on very large vines
- Dill’s Atlantic Giant – Yellow orange, round on huge plants
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