30 Best Pumpkin Varieties: Description with Photos

The varietal diversity of this vegetable crop is amazing - Squash, Arabat pumpkin, Butternut and dozens of other names. With different shapes, sizes, colors and tastes, this vegetable will please everyone. Gardeners can choose those varieties of pumpkin that meet the characteristics of their site and taste preferences. Which pumpkin variety is the sweetest, how to choose a variety based on the characteristics of the growing location? Bush pumpkin is suitable for cultivation in a country garden.

This article presents the reader with the most popular varieties of pumpkin, a brief description and photo of each variety. This information will help gardeners and summer residents grow this wonderful vitamin-rich vegetable in their garden.

General information and classification

Decorative varieties

The pumpkin family includes 27 species. A huge number of varieties have been bred from each.

In our country, 3 types of pumpkins are most often grown:

large-fruited
nutmeg
strong-willed

Hard-skinned varieties (common pumpkin) include vegetables with thick, woody skin. They usually ripen earlier than anyone else - at the end of summer, beginning of autumn.
Butternut squash love warmth, so they bear fruit best in areas with a warm climate. They have a long growing season; most often, in our country they need to be planted as seedlings.
Large-fruited cucurbits produce the largest, sweetest fruits. They are best suited for long-term storage, growing in cold parts of the country.
There is a tomato variety called purple pumpkin.

According to their purpose, pumpkins are divided into:

table varieties
feed
decorative

We will describe different varieties for cultivation in different regions of Russia, taste, etc.

Melon

Description of the variety. The pumpkin is large-fruited, long-climbing, tolerates transportation well and has a shelf life. Characterized by average resistance to drought and cold. The variety is mid-season: 110 days pass from planting seeds to harvesting. The length of the lash is up to 5 m. Productivity is 30-45 kg per plant.

The fruit has a hard, slightly wrinkled dark orange bark and dense orange pulp, has a spherical shape and weighs up to 15 kg. Well segmented. Melon pumpkins contain vitamins A, B and C, as well as carotene, sodium, magnesium and fiber. The sugar content of the fruit is 9-15%.

butternut squash

Butternut squash is one of the most beloved members of the pumpkin family among gardeners. She is originally from Mexico. It got its name for its subtle nutmeg aroma.
Its popularity is associated with its taste, rich color of pulp, and long shelf life. That’s why nutmeg pumpkin is also called winter squash. After resting for a long time, its flesh acquires a more saturated color. But it is not recommended to store vegetables for more than six months.
This species includes many varieties. They all have different shapes and colors. Most varieties have elongated fruits - pear-shaped, oval, cylindrical.
A distinctive feature of this group of plants is the pentagonal stalk of the pumpkin. But all representatives have a thin peel that is easy to peel.
Butternut squash is best suited for growing in the southern regions of the country. In central Russia you can plant it using seedlings or in greenhouses.
Almost all varieties are late ripening.

Spanish guitar

The plant received its name for the unusual shape of its fruits, weighing up to 8 kg. The length of vegetables depends on the fertility of the soil and ranges from 70-100 cm, diameter - about 17 cm.
This is a mid-season variety that has good shelf life and tastes like apricots. There are few seeds in the dense pulp; they are located only in the thickened part of the vegetable.
The skin is thin and the inside of the pumpkin is orange. There are no ribs on the surface of the fruit.
The variety is suitable for consumption raw, but has not yet become widespread in our country.

Tsukatnaya

The first harvest of candied pumpkin is harvested 4-5 months after the sprouts appear. The variety is classified as mid-late.
The fruits are light brown in color and have a rounded-flattened shape. After maturation, their average weight is 5 kg. The inside is sugary, crispy, and orange in color.
Candied pumpkin is widely used for the manufacture of confectionery, medicinal and baby food.
The harvested crop can be transported and stored for a long time.

Vitamin

A late variety of nutmeg pumpkin, the fruits of which fully ripen no less than 3.5 months after the appearance of the first shoots. One plant usually produces 2-3 fruits.
Oval ribbed pumpkins, weighing up to 5 kg. The peel is thin, orange in color. The pulp is juicy orange, dense and crispy. It tastes sweet. Widely used for making juice, confectionery, and also suitable for fresh consumption.
Fruits can be stored, but for a short period of time.

Marble

A variety with an average period of fruit ripening, intended for planting in warm regions of Russia. On average, the first harvest is harvested 4 months and 10 days after the first shoots appear.
The bushes form green-gray pumpkins of a flattened round shape, weighing 6-10 kg. Their flesh is loose, orange in color, and pleasant to the taste. After ripening, the peel acquires a green, gray color.
The variety is suitable for transportation over long distances. The fruits do not crack or rot.
At low air temperatures, pumpkins can be stored for a long time - about 1 year.

Muscat de Provence

Bred by French breeders.
The first fruits of Muscat de Provence can be enjoyed 110 days after emergence.
They have a round, flattened shape and gain weight of no more than 4 kg.
The outside of the fruit is orange in color with many ribs.
Inside, the pumpkin is orange in color, dense in consistency, sweet and juicy.
Vegetables can be harvested before they are fully ripe and stored for a long time at a temperature of 8-10 C.

Walnut

The plant has another equally well-known name - butternut, or moschata. It was obtained by Israeli scientists by crossing an African pumpkin and a variety of butternut squash.
One of the few representatives of the group that ripens in 3-3.5 months.
The plant bears fruit best when no more than 5 fruits are left on one bush, which weigh 1-1.2 kg when ripe.
The vegetable itself has an elongated shape and looks like a zucchini. The color of the dense peel and pulp is yellow. The fruit inside is fibrous, juicy, with a light nutty aroma and a small amount of seeds.
The plant has one drawback - it requires proper care to produce tasty, aromatic fruits.
Butternuts can be picked before they are fully ripe. Vegetables ripen outside the bush, which allows them to be stored longer. They are usually picked at the end of summer, beginning of autumn, if there is a risk of cold weather.
The fruits can be used both for preparing various sweet dishes and added to meat. Lovers of raw vegetables can use it in its unprocessed form.

Honey dessert

Description of the variety. The pumpkin is large-fruited, long-climbing, frost-resistant, tolerates transportation well and has an average shelf life. Resistant to drought and diseases. Early ripening: 95-100 days pass from planting seeds to harvesting. Productivity – up to 30 kg per plant.

The fruit has a hard bright orange bark and dense juicy carrot-colored pulp, has a spherical, slightly flattened shape and weighs 3-11 kg. Well segmented. Pumpkins of the Honey Dessert variety are distinguished by a high content of carotene; the sugar content of the fruit is about 10%.

Varieties with large fruits

Harvest

Summer residents do not really like varieties that form large pumpkins, since you cannot eat the vegetable at once, and storing it in a city apartment is extremely inconvenient.
Large-fruited pumpkin includes about 100 varieties.

Pumpkin lantern

Refers to a variety of large-fruited pumpkin. It takes 3-3.5 months for the fruit to ripen.
On the outside they are smooth, orange-pink in color, slightly ribbed.
The shape is round, slightly elongated.
Each specimen weighs 5-6 kg. The inside is tender yellow-orange, crispy, juicy.
Picked pumpkin can be stored for 3-3.5 months. The variety is suitable for transportation.
The harvested crop is subjected to heat treatment. Used for making juices and purees.
The plant is heat-loving and drought-resistant. Plantings can be affected by powdery mildew and bacteriosis.

Russian porridge

Belongs to the large-fruited variety. It may take up to 4 months to receive the first fruits.
The variety is considered mid-season. One bush produces 3-4 pumpkins, weighing 6-7 kg, orange-pink in color.
Their shape is round, with subtle ribbing.
The inner part is medium density, painted orange. The taste is good.
The fruits can be stored.
From the name you can already assume that the variety is excellent for stewing, baking, and boiling.
It can also be used for canning and consumed unprocessed.

Winter sweet

Description of the variety. The pumpkin is large-fruited, cold-resistant, tolerates transportation well and has a shelf life. It is resistant to drought, but is sometimes susceptible to white mosaic, gray mold and fusarium. Late-ripening: 130-140 days pass from planting seeds to harvesting. The length of the lash is up to 3 m. Productivity is up to 30 kg per plant.

The fruit has a hard gray bark with slightly noticeable spots of different colors and juicy friable egg-yellow flesh, has a spherical, slightly flattened shape and weighs 6-12 kg. Well segmented. Winter sweet pumpkins contain a large amount of vitamins and microelements; the sugar content of the fruit is about 10%.

Varieties of hard-bark pumpkin

This group also includes zucchini and squash.

This variety can most often be found in Russian areas.
Hard-bark varieties are characterized by long plant stems - up to 7 m. They are also called table plants.
But there are also plants with short stems.

Bun

Early variety. It takes about 3 months to get the first pumpkins.
The fruits are small - 1.5 kg, colored orange. White stripes divide it into segments.
The inside is sugary, juicy, and orange in color.
The variety is suitable for storage. The harvested crop can be consumed fresh, used for making juices, dietary dishes, etc.

Gymnosperm

Gymnosperm pumpkin is a group of plants whose seeds are not covered with a hard shell. This variety was known at the beginning of the 20th century, but nowadays it has begun to gain popularity again.
Externally, the fruits are not particularly attractive - they are green and yellow in color. The outside is covered with a dense, hard, but thin peel. Round in shape, with barely noticeable ribbing, weighing 3-7 kg.
The first harvest is harvested 4 months after emergence. The shelf life of the fruit is about 2 months.
The pulp is used both in raw form and for preparing various dishes, as well as in cosmetology and medicine. Some sources say the best time to use pumpkins is a few weeks after picking. At this point they reveal their full taste.
Most often, this variety is grown specifically for seeds. Representatives of gymnosperms are recommended to be planted away from other pumpkin vegetables, as they can cross-pollinate. In this case, the seed will already have a dense shell.

The most famous varieties of gymnosperm pumpkin:

Danae
Olga
Miranda
Hamlet
Gymnosperm 14

Marble

Description of the variety. The pumpkin is large-fruited, long-climbing, tolerates transportation well and has a shelf life. Not resistant to drought. Late-ripening: 130-140 days pass from planting seeds to harvesting. The length of the lash is up to 3 m. The yield is 1.6-3 kg per plant.

The fruit has a hard, wrinkled green bark with noticeable spots of light color and juicy, friable egg-yellow flesh, has a spherical shape and weighs 4-5 kg. Well segmented. Marble variety pumpkins contain vitamins A, B and E, as well as carotene, potassium, magnesium and other useful elements. The sugar content of the fruit is about 10-12%.

Pineapple F1

Description. First generation hybrid. Nutmeg pumpkin, long-climbing, has good transportability and high shelf life. With proper agricultural technology and compliance with crop rotation, it is resistant to major diseases of melons and melons. The variety is mid-season: 110-125 days pass from planting seeds to harvesting. Productivity – 10-15 kg per plant.

The fruit is pear-shaped, with a beige-cream thin bark and yellow-orange dense pulp, weighing 1.5-2.5 kg. Hybrid Pineapple F1 is rich in ascorbic acid and carotene. The sugar content of the fruit is about 10%.

In addition to these sweetest varieties of pumpkin, there are many others. Perhaps some of them are already growing in your garden. Share it with us in the comments.

Everything about pumpkins: from choosing seeds to storing the harvest
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Pearl

Description of the variety. Nutmeg pumpkin, long-climbing, has good transportability and keeping quality. It is characterized by high resistance to drought and cold, and, if agricultural practices and crop rotation are followed, to the main diseases and pests of melons and melons. The variety is late-ripening: 110-130 days pass from planting seeds to harvesting. Productivity – up to 15 kg per plant.

The fruit is pear-shaped, with hard orange-green bark and dense light orange pulp, weighing 4-8 kg. Pumpkins of the Zhemchuzhina variety are rich in vitamins A, E, K, PP, as well as group B. The sugar content of the fruit is more than 10%.

Real reviews from gardeners

Elena Igorevna, 49 years old

For many years I have been planting country pumpkin seedlings in the garden. From experience I can say that it takes root best in the Voronezh region. The variety is not afraid of sandy soil, and moderate temperatures allow it to ripen on time.

Milena Yurievna, 32 years old

In the Urals, it is easier to grow sweet pumpkins than tomatoes. You don't need a greenhouse or hotbed for this. The most important thing is to choose frost-resistant varieties that are not afraid of frost, pests and common diseases.