15 Best Pumpkin Varieties to Grow at Home (With Pictures)

If you’re someone who loves gardening, you probably have tried your hand at a series of fruits and veggies around the yard. But if you are a real lover of the fall season, you might want to try your hand at some type of pumpkin variety. Whether you have a small space to work with or a huge garden, there are pumpkins in every shape and size.

Here, we rounded up quite a variety in terms of texture, purpose, aesthetics, and color. You can choose the one that works the best in your living space, or try a handful that strike your fancy. Let’s explore.

The 15 Types of Pumpkin to Grow at Home

1. Sugar Bush Pumpkins

Sugar pumpkins are some of the most common pumpkins you might see people growing in their gardens. That’s for a good reason. Sugar pumpkins are a bit on the small side, making them an ideal peak for smaller environments.

These vines produce perfectly rounded, cute little pumpkins perfect for children’s carving. But more so than being Halloween-ready, these pumpkins are exquisite for cooking. They are so versatile, making them ideal for pies, sautéing, or even eating raw.

2. Autumn Gold Pumpkin

Autumn Gold Pumpkins get their name honestly. Even before they are ripe, and long before competing pumpkins, these beauties turn their beautiful golden color. If you grow these, you must not rip them off the vine as soon as you notice a color change. Let them continue to grow.

They are a decent size and make for a beautiful display—they also make wonderful carving or cooking pumpkins!

3. BabyBoo Pumpkins

If you want to try your hand at a smaller pumpkin variety, we have to recommend the baby boo pumpkin. This little guy is adorable. The inner flesh is bold orange and smooth. Not only are the vines more favorable for smaller growing spaces, they also make excellent eating.

These tiny white pumpkins spruce up any indoor or outdoor environment. Because they are a smaller variety, they also produce up to 10 pumpkins per vine. But unless you’re a miniatures enthusiast, they won’t be the best carving pumpkins.

4. Jarrahdale Pumpkin

If you want to add a little color variety to your garden this year, you might try the unique Jara Dale pumpkin. Named after a town in Australia where the breed originated, this pumpkin keeps its green/until fully ripe.

They are a real eye-catcher to have sitting out on your stoop for the season, providing a cool aesthetic. But they also have a very sweet orange flesh making them good for cooking—especially for baking pies.

5. Cherokee Bush Pumpkin

The Cherokee bush pumpkin is an adorable smaller pumpkin selection you can have for the holidays. These little beauties are perfect for very small carvings or just to throw up on your porch for visual effects.

Since they’re a smaller pumpkin variety, they don’t fill out quite as drastically as some larger varieties. You can even stunt their growth a bit by starting them in a controlled, small planter. They also make awesome painting pumpkins as well.

6. Fairytale Pumpkin

These French winter heirlooms look like the perfect dream. One look at a fairytale pumpkin, and you can see how they got their name. So, if you’re looking for an atypical pumpkin selection for the holidays, this is a terrific choice.

These pale-skinned, rigid, flatter pumpkins have incredibly tough outer skins, but they’re very sweet in the center. You can even eat it raw! So while they were aesthetically pleasing, they were just as well in the kitchen.

7. Cinderella Pumpkin

Does the Cinderella pumpkin remind you of a horse-drawn carriage in the Disney cartoon? It should! These robust pumpkins are beautiful and mild in taste. These French heirlooms are vibrant burnt orange—and it’s widely available.

They will require quite a bit of growing space since they get pretty sizable. But if you have the yard space to provide, this is definitely a unique pumpkin species to try out.

8. Red Warty Thing

What in the world is wrong with that pumpkin? The red warty thing might look like it suffers from some terrible disease. But nothing could be further from the truth.

These peculiar-looking pumpkins might be bumpy and incredibly hard on the outside, but they have juicy, sweet goodness on the inside. So once you’re done setting them up on your front porch for a spectacle, you can take them to the kitchen, gut them, and turn them into a tasty dessert.

9. Cushaw Green-Striped Pumpkin

What in the world is this thing? Is it even a pumpkin? You betcha. The Kushal green striped pumpkin is referred to as the sweet potato of the pumpkin world. Not only do these unique specimens look terrific after picking, but you can also use them for cooking.

With all the twists and turns and intricate shapes, you’re sure to get a few vines of interesting-looking fruits.

10. Casper Pumpkin

Are you tired of plain old orange pumpkins? If so, you should try your hand at growing the Casper pumpkin. Pure white, these perfectly plump pumpkins put a ghostly spin on traditional squash. You can cut them up in the kitchen for a sweet delight.

Or, they make incredibly awesome carving pumpkins as well. So you can always cut them open, scoop out their seeds to bake for later, and make a beautifully pale jack-o’-lantern to enjoy.

11. Pink Porcelain Doll Pumpkin

These pumpkins are true to their name, they are pale pink and have an enchanted feel. If the Jarrahdale pumpkin caught your eye a couple of slots up, the pink porcelain doll pumpkin is actually a really great pairing. So you could try your hand at both, permitting you have the space.

They are definitely one of the more unique pumpkins on our list, differing in looks from traditional pumpkins quite a lot. Due to the hard exterior and deep ridges, they don’t make the best carving pumpkins, but they’re perfect in the kitchen.

12. Rhea Pumpkin

Try out the rhea pumpkin if you want to grow a well-defined, classic-looking pumpkin that is perfect for carving jack-o’-lanterns. This dark orange little beauty has a perfect texture to make some nifty creations. Your neighbors will look at all the intricate designs you can make.

These are excellent for even beginners and are suitable enough in size to grow in moderate yard spaces. In addition to being perfect for carving pumpkins, they also are dual-purpose, working just as fantastically for cooking. Plus, did we mention they’re easy to grow?

13. Black Kat Pumpkin

We think that you will love the black kat pumpkin. These tiny little pumpkins are nearly black in color, adding a very spooky aesthetic to your front porch. In addition to being uniquely colored on the outside, they’re also very pale on the inside with a very smooth texture.

These pumpkins are incredibly easy to grow and thrive in many different climates. So if you’re trying to find a very versatile addition to your garden space, you might have struck the jackpot here.

14. Jack-Be-Little Pumpkin

Jack-be-little pumpkins are exactly what you imagine when you think of miniature orange pumpkins. These little guys are perfect for your fall basket or overall home aesthetic. You can place them strategically for decorative purposes or let your kids paint them. It’s really up to you.

Despite being small, Jack-be-little pumpkins are edible—and tasty! These little pumpkins are very easy to grow and you can enjoy them in small spaces. Even though they’re just ornamental, they are so much fun to have around for the holidays.

15. Seminole Pumpkin

Seminal pumpkins are small, adorable, and unique. What’s really great about these particular pumpkins is that they are very mildew resistant. So they work exceptionally well in hot, humid climates. If you live in an area where mildew is a real problem, you might be able to try a few of these seeds to see if you can get yourself some sprouts.

On top of looking awesome, they are also incredibly sweet, arguably sweeter than butternut squash. So they make for some pretty tasty desserts.

Conclusion

There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to pumpkins. As you can see, you have quite a bit of variety in size, texture, and color. Ultimately, the type of pumpkin you choose should be in alignment with the amount of space you have to care for them.

If you’re trying to grow a large variety, you have to ensure you have the yard space to make it happen. However, even people who live in smaller spaces without much yard room can successfully grow smaller varieties of pumpkins. Hopefully, you found one or a few on the list that will work for your garden space.

Featured Image Credit: Alexey_Hulsov, Pixabay