Novelty pumpkins are varieties of pumpkins grown primarily for their unique and interesting appearance rather than for their suitability as food. These pumpkins come in various shapes, sizes, colors, and textures. They are popular for decorative purposes especially during the fall and around Halloween. Common types of novelty pumpkins include white, warty, mini, long-stemmed, and multi-colored. Jung Seed carries a wide variety of pumpkins including many novelty pumpkins. Here are the nine favorite novelty pumpkins you should consider growing this season.
Blue Doll Hybrid Novelty Pumpkin
A unique blue pumpkin that is not only beautiful, but delicious too! Deeply ribbed, slightly flattened fruits are somewhat bumpy and hard-shelled with a cool greenish-blue gray color that is certain to add interest to fall displays. They weigh 20 to 24 pounds with sweet, deep-orange flesh that is fantastic for both cooking and baking. They are high-yielding and have intermediate resistance to powdery mildew.
Cinderella’s Carriage Hybrid Pumpkin
Grow pumpkins as charming as the fairy tale. This 2014 AAS Winner is the first hybrid Cinderella-type pumpkin on the market. The magical reddish orange to pinkish-red colored fruits has a flattened-round shape like the pumpkin carriage from Cinderella fairy tale fame, measuring 15 to 18 inches across and weighing from 20 to 35 pounds each. The vigorous vines are higher yielding than others of this type, bearing 5 to 7 fruits per plant, plus Powdery Mildew tolerance keeps them producing longer. Some lucky gardeners might also find a pale blue pumpkin in their patch. The fruits are not only extremely decorative but are delightfully tasty with a sweet, nutty flavor.
A novel all-white pumpkin. Even the flesh is white! The fruits are nearly round, measuring about 9 inches and weighing 5 to 12 pounds each. They have strong, sturdy handles and their glossy skin makes them excellent for painting and carving into unique jack-o-lanterns. Be sure to harvest when white and store in the dark to maintain the best color. Very productive.
Dark Knight Hybrid Novelty Pumpkin
The dark color adds a dramatic dimension to fall displays. The oval 8-to-10-pound fruits have deep ribs and retain their dark green coloring if picked early. Allow them to ripen on the vine and they turn a medium green with orange flecks. The fruits have a long shelf life ensuring they’ll last through the fall season. Vines possess good tolerance to powdery mildew.
Fireball Hybrid Novelty Pumpkin
The Fireball is a new novelty pumpkin that’s sure to light up your fall display. It has rounded yellow orange, lightly warted fruit displaying green stripes that change to orange as they mature. It has incredibly dark handles. Averaging 9 pounds, these pumpkins will add wonderful variety to pumpkin patches. Vigorous plants have intermediate resistance to powdery mildew and zucchini yellow mosaic virus.
This pumpkin looks like a bloodshot eyeball. There’s a character in every crowd, and it’s no different in the pumpkin patch. These 20-pound round to oblong fruits have a white background accented with midribs and stippled veins of red. The productive vines have good Powdery Mildew tolerance plus some virus tolerance.
Polar Bear Hybrid Novelty Pumpkin
The Polar Bear Hybrid Novelty Pumpkin are large, white pumpkins that retain their color in outdoor displays. The fruits typically average 30-65 pounds, but if growing conditions are ideal, they may grow 100 pounds or more. The skin is smooth with slight suturing and won’t turn beige if left in the field too long. Great for carving.
Porcelain Doll Hybrid Novelty Pumpkin
Pretty pink pumpkins are a delight for the eyes and the taste buds. These blocky, 20-to-24-pound fruits are naturally pink on the outside, but have sweet, deep orange flesh on the inside that is fantastic for baking and cooking. The vigorous vines have good tolerance to both powdery and downy mildews.
Warty Goblin Hybrid Novelty Pumpkin
It’s frightful and yet delightful. Heavily warted pumpkins mature to a bright orange while the warts retain their green coloration for several weeks post-harvest. The hard-shell fruits average 8 to 20 pounds each. With its dark green, firmly attached handle to the novel appearance and you have a pumpkin perfect for kids and roadside stands. Good resistance to Powdery Mildew.
These specialty pumpkins not only add visual interest but also provide an opportunity to experiment with different varieties and expand your gardening skills. Whether you are planning to use them for seasonal displays or culinary creations, you will enjoy the harvest of your very own pumpkin patch filled with extraordinary treasures. If you are looking for additional novelty varieties or traditional pumpkins, be sure to visit Jung Seed Company.
