Pumpkin Varieties

Currently Atlantic Giants are the largest of the giant pumpkins. With proper care they can grow to over half a ton in weight. The photo at top left shows the winner of the 2003 Half Moon Bay Great Pumpkin Weigh-Off with a 1,180 lb. Atlantic Giant. While they have the potential to grow to truly monstrous proportions more commonly they weigh in at several hundred pounds. Coloration for the largest pumpkins is usually cream to light orange but some growers have managed to coax a good orange color from them. The amount of sunlight seems to be the key.

Cucurbita maxima, 130 days to maturity

One of the most attractive of the giant pumpkins, Prizewinner commonly grows up to 200 lbs. It is well rounded, light orange/yellow, and smooth with light ribbing.

Prior to Howden, Connecticut Field was the standard Halloween pumpkin. It's a full sized pumpkin averaging 20-25 lbs. with slight ribbing and a solid orange color. Durable flesh is good for canning.

Cucurbita moschata, 120 days to maturity

Howdens come in several closely related varieties and are, as a group, the commercial leader for jack-o-lanterns. They tend to be fairly large weighing greater than 20 lbs. and often up to 60. They often produce pumpkins that are more elongated than round, only lightly ribbed, and with a deep orange skin. Excellent choice for carving, sturdy stems.

Cucurbita pepo, 115 days to maturity

Small, ~5" in diameter, slightly oblate, smooth with slight ribbing. Good for cooking and decoration but not for carving.

Cucurbita pepo, 105 days to maturity

2-3" diameter miniature pumpkins. Only passably edible but great for decoration, painting, crafts. Shallower ribs than the Munchkin variety. Like most miniature varieties these keep extremely well.

Cucurbita pepo, 105 days to maturity

Small (~4" diameter, 1 lb.), well rounded, very slight ribbing. Deep orange color. Good for painting and decor. Carving is possible.

Miniature pumpkin (~3" diameter, ~2" high, 1/4 lb.), flattened with deep ribs and sturdy stem. Not for cooking but excellent for decorating and other craft projects. Keeps extremely well.

Cucurbita pepo, 95 days to maturity

Suitable for all uses, carving, painting, cooking it is best known as the King of pumpkins for pies with its dark, sweet flesh. ~6"- 8" diameter, 5 - 8 lbs. Great seeds for roasting. 

Extra small, well rounded pumpkin variety with smooth skin and no ribbing. Used for decoration it ranges between 2" - 5" in diameter. Unlike smaller more decorative varieties these pumpkins are edible.

Bright white miniature, ~3" pumpkin with deep ribs. Has a tendency to turn yellow in bright sunlight. Like many of the miniature varieties it keeps extremely well. Not edible but very attractive for decoration.

Cucurbita pepo, 95 days to maturity

Brilliant white skin. More round than squat and with only slight ribbing. Sweet flesh is excellent for pies and baking. More suited to painting than carving.

Cucurbita pepo, 115 days to maturity

Brilliant white and normally smoothed skin. Bright yellow flesh. Highly valued for its flavor it is especially good for cooking. Can be carved or painted but does not keep well.

Cucurbita maxima, 90 days to maturity

Pure white outside with a bright yellow flesh inside White Ghost pumpkins are good for painting, cooking, or general fall decorating. Their thick flesh and squat shape make them challenging to carve. 

In recent years the Cinderella variety of pumpkins has become quite popular here in the Bay Area although it was introduced to the US in 1883. It is rumored to have been the prototype for pumpkin carriage in the Cinderella folktale. Cinderella pumpkins are deep red to orange, flattened, and deeply ribbed. Excellent for decor they are difficult to carve. Good for stacking. Semi-sweet flesh is good for pies. Keeps very well.

Cucurbita pepo, 100 days to maturity

Lakota is an heirloom variety from the American Midwest. Red with green/black markings following margins up from the base. Mostly pear shaped.

A Cross between an unknown pumpkin and a Red Hubbard this pumpkin is perhaps more squash-like than pumpkin-like. Richly warted red skin, sweet string less flesh, perhaps better for eating than for carving. Very decorative.

Similar to the Jarrahdale but typically with less blue coloration.

Cucurbita pepo, 110 days to maturity

Flattened like Cinderella but with a light blue/grey color. Deeply ribbed. This pumpkin is an Australian heirloom variety and was developed as a cross between the Blue Hubbard and the Cinderella. The flesh is golden yellow with a mild, only slightly sweet, flavor. Some say this is the best pumpkin for pumpkin pies.

Cucurbita pepo, 110 days to maturity

Kabocha is very popular in Japan and is produced in many nations for export to Japan. It has a very tough green rind which makes it difficult to carve but its sweet and nutty yellow flesh makes it an excellent choice for cooking. Flesh remains firm and holds its shape after cooking. Generally 2-3 lbs.

Cucurbita pepo, 95 days to maturity

Kakai is another pumpkin from Japan its skin is grey with orange stripes. This variety is prized for its "naked" seeds which are naturally blue and perfect for roasting. Not preferred for eating but carves well.

Lakota is an heirloom variety from the American Midwest. Blue/green in color with slight ribs. Oblate and slightly conical on top.

An heirloom Italian variety. Squat, warty, and thick skinned green pumpkin with sweet yellow/orange flesh that is excellent for cooking. Usually weighs 6-12 lbs.

100 days to maturity

Fairytale is an old French heirloom variety. When young it is dark green with orange/peach blushes. As it ages the dark green turns to buff orange. Shaped much like Cinderella it is flat with deep ribbing. Flesh is bright orange. Not well suited to carving. 20-30 lbs., ~15" diameter, ~6" high

One of the classic pumpkins of the 19th century. Medium sized (~10 lbs.) with a pale cheese colored skin and light ribbing. Renowned for it's sweet, deep orange colored flesh and it's exceptional keeping qualities.

Cucurbita moschata, 105 days to maturity

Miniature pumpkin with variable coloration and light ribs. Most often a base white or yellow color with splotches and stripes of yellow or green. Keeps well.

Cucurbita pepo, 100 days to maturity

Miniature pumpkin with mottled orange over a yellow base. Ribs are pronounced at the top and fade to a smooth bottom. Generally flattened with recessed stem. ~ 5" diameter, ~ 3" high

Zucca Rotondo is an Italian variety of pumpkin. It has deep well spaced ribbing and a mottled yellow and green coloration.

Apple shaped with watermelon-like coloration when fresh. Like other gourds it can be dried and decorated.

Lagenaria siceraria, 110 days to maturity

General term for a variety of gourds with wing-like protrusions. Not good for eating but make excellent decorations.

Cucurbita pepo, 95 days to maturity

Gourds and pumpkins are genetically very closely related and cross pollination can occur quite easily producing one of a kind sterile hybrids. The beautiful warted lime green and yellow hybrid pictured here is a one of a kind cross of a unknown gourd with a Howden. While very attractive they are generally inedible. Carvability and keeping quality also vary greatly.

The delicately pink on the outside and brilliant yellow inside Banana Squash is excellent for cooking and eating. Measuring two to three feet in length and weighing in between 10-50 pounds,  it is perhaps too large for most fall table displays but well worth buying and preparing.

Cucurbita maxima, 105 days to maturity

The Delicata Squash is fast becoming a popular at upscale restaurants throughout the Bay Area. It's well known for its delicate and sweet flavor. Storage is generally fair. Elongated, yellow in color with light ribbing and streaks of orange and green in the recesses.

Cucurbita pepo, 100 days to maturity

The Hubbard comes in five varieties, a true, a red, a grey or blue, a golden, and a green. Large with a tough rind, cooks well, stores well, tastes excellent. The Green Hubbard is an heirloom variety originally introduced in the 1790's.

Cucurbita maxima

The Hubbard comes in five varieties, a true, a red, a grey or blue, a golden, and a green. Large, 15-40lbs, with a tough rind, cooks well, tastes excellent.

Cucurbita maxima

The Hubbard comes in five varieties, a true, a red, a grey or blue, a golden, and a green.  Large with a tough rind, cooks well, tastes excellent.

Cucurbita maxima

One of the more unusual squashes is the Turban Squash. Highly decorative with white and red to orange coloration it has a fairly bland flavor. It can be scooped out and used as a soup tureen or as a centerpiece.

Cucurbita maxima, 90 days to maturity