The Seminole Pumpkin Project

This page is a resource for people interested in varieties of Seminole pumpkins and their genetics.

Over the last few years I’ve noticed a lot of difference in squash varieties named as types of Seminole Pumpkin. The line I’m growing is of unknown origin and routinely bears large, light tan and very sweet orange-fleshed fruit averaging 6-10lbs per pumpkin. Most are roughly round, some pear-shaped.

different Seminole pumpkin cultivars — One of my Seminole pumpkins (in back) beside others.

For reference, I’ve started collecting photos and details on the various lines, trying to include sizes, seed-sellers, growers, locations and whatever other data is submitted.

This is an ongoing project – if you are growing Seminole pumpkins, please submit your photos and all the information you have on their origins.

Seminole Pumpkins are a part of Florida’s heritage and are worth breeding, maintaining and sharing!

Seminole Pumpkin(s) #1: Faith Carr (Gainesville)

NOTES: Faith writes “2013 – Mine were pretty consistent as to type – From the 2013 Southern Heritage Seed Collective* – Spring/Summer Distribution.”

Interesting green and spotted mottling on these.

Seminole Pumpkin(s) #2: Shon Law (Longwood)

NOTES: Shon writes “I’m not that sure about my pumpkin varieties. Here’s a bunch.”

Looking at this selection and the top two orange specimens, they seem to be C. pepo and C. maxima varieties, not C. moschata as a true Seminole pumpkin would be. Note the thicker stems without the deep scalloped indentation common to C. moschata.

Seminole Pumpkin(s) #3: Kelly Carvallis (Gainesville)

NOTES: Kelly writes “1st
were 2012 batch from seed library, the 2 following were 2013 saved
seed, skipped 2014 and this year is a volunteer from who knows where…”

These have a bit of white patterning on the fruit that some Seminole Pumpkin cultivars lack. They also exhibit good-sized fruits.

Seminole Pumpkin #4: Alex Ojeda (Jacksonville)

NOTES: Alex writes “I planted Seminole pumpkins last year (2014) and this is what I got. Does it look like anything any of you are familiar with? Two possible choices here. I have a Seminole hybrid itself with another squash somewhere or I
got my home grown seeds confused with something else. Whaddaya think? I’ve never gotten these before…”

Possibly a cross. Joe Pierce in Micanopy (owner of the Mosswood Farm Store) also has lock-necked types in his garden as of 2015.

Michael Adler, formerly of the Edible Plant Project in Gainesville notes in regards to long-necked types: “EPP
once sold a batch of seeds that had crossed with neck pumpkins, because
we ran out of seeds we knew were uncrossed. Sometimes it’s hard to
find enough seeds to distribute. Now there are necky Seminoles running
around in the community.”

This variety could be worth inbreeding to create a new line with thick necks, comparable to the good flesh to seed cavity ratio found in butternut cultivars but with Seminole Pumpkin vigor.

Another specimen given to me by Alex was a much smaller non-necked pumpkin similar to those I’ve seen at the Marion County Extension:

Seminole Pumpkin #5: Andi Houston (Gainesville)

NOTES: Andi writes “This is what most of my pumpkins looked like, but I did have some that looked like the tan cheese pumpkins above too.”

This additional image is from September 2013:

The green-skinned types can be found in online photos; however, Andi’s is the first one I’ve seen growing in this area.

Seminole Pumpkin #6: Ariana Rollins (Anthony)

NOTES: Ariana writes “They came from you (David The Good).” Crop of 2013.

These seeds originated at the Edible Plant Project, not from my personal unknown line. I shared a packet I had acquired in 2013. Definitely the smaller buff strain. Similar to those I’ve seen shared at the Marion County Agricultural Extension.

Seminole Pumpkin #8: Mart Hale (Summerfield)

NOTES: Mart writes “They are amazing. And ya the genetics are wild at times.” Seed source: Just Fruits and Exotics.

Mart’s pumpkins are similar to my line; however, they often exhibit some white blotching and spots.

Seminole Pumpkin #9: David The Good (Sparr)

NOTES: This is my line of Seminole pumpkins (images 2014). I believe they may have some from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange originally; however, the images they have on their website do not look like what I’ve grown. Flavor is excellent. Fine, sweet orange flesh is like a combination of an excellent sweet potato mixed with a great butternut squash.

This year (2015) we got one that was almost 13 lbs:

Seminole Pumpkin(s) #10: Lynn Dufour (Oklawaha)

NOTES: Lynn writes “Hi David…top one is from a friends garden, i got 10 cups of processed pumpkin from it…bottom is from the vine i planted last year (got it at
326 ) seeds from top one planted now and doing well…both weigh in around 10-12 lbs (weigh way more than gallon of water, for sure).”

There’s an interesting white blush on these I’ve only seen on some specimens – and the deep green is quite interesting. None of mine have had that coloration in the least. Photo of vines below:

Seminole Pumpkin #11: Ola Lindefelt (Miami)

NOTES: Ola writes “This
guy, I believe, crossed with a calabaza growing in the vicinity. The
original Seminole from BC, and the calabaza from a friend (heirloom
source) in Miami.”

Seminole Pumpkin(s) #12: Linda Krausnik (Ocala)

NOTES: Crop of 2014. Seed source unknown.

Seminole Pumpkin(s) #13: Rick (Summerfield)

NOTES: Rick writes “I planted what I *think* is a combination of Seminole and Tan Cheese in my parents’ garden, but I can’t guarantee that nothing else made it in there. Totally not sure why some of them are green. I find it surprising there was such variety in the…uh neckedness. One was almost as flat as a tan cheese, and one looked almost like a squash.”

Seminole Pumpkin #14: Edible Plant Project (Gainesville)

NOTES: Purchased at the Union Street Farmer’s Market for a ridiculous $10. Vendor told me seeds originally came from the Edible Plant Project. Larger than some of the ones I’ve seen but not as big as Mart Hale’s or my line.

Seminole Pumpkin(s) #15: Jennifer M. (Brooksville)

NOTES: Jennifer writes “Here are a couple of the pumpkins I grew last year in Brooksville. I purchased the seed from Southern Seed Exchange and they performed great. I am growing more this season from seed harvested from last years pumpkins as well as the remainder of the seed packet from Southern Seed, so we’ll see how they compare.”

Seminole Pumpkin(s) #16: Lyda (Ft. Lauderdale)

NOTES: Lyda writes “David, I grew these last year (2014). Great harvest from a single seed. Probably about 70 pounds of pumpkins. Took over most of the backyard. Most were about 1 pound each. Much smaller than the ones you grew last year out of your compost pile. This year has not been as successful yet. I’ve been traveling a lot this spring, the kids forgot to water the plant I had in the ground, and the plants I have in a raised bed have not really taken off like last year. Just started a few more seeds and I have my fingers crossed because I love the pumpkin for several recipes and my backup in the freezer is almost gone. oh no!”

This variety shows quite strongly the white mottling I’ve noticed on many Seminole Pumpkin leaves, though the blooms are a bit smaller than those on my line. 70lbs of pumpkins from 1 seed is a great yield, so this is definitely a vigorous variety worth preserving.

Seminole Pumpkin(s) #17: Robert S. (Titusville area)

NOTES: Robert writes “Here’s what I’ve picked so far. These 5 are a combined weight of 11 pounds. The biggest one is 4 pounds. Got one more on the vine that’s even bigger, it needs a few more days. All this off of one main plant that has run 30+ feet. Unfortunately this blasted early heat wave is dropping all of my blooms right now so not sure when I’ll get any more. Seeds originally came from Baker Creek Heirloom (rareseeds.com) two years ago. This years plants are from seeds saved from those original plants. These pumpkins are quite a bigger bigger than what I got last year. I’m thinking they’ve crossed with something else? I’ve had Acorn Squash growing in the vicinity…… Hope this helps with your project.”

Acorn squash are C. pepo, so the chances of a cross are incredible low; however, there may have been another C. moschata growing somewhere nearby, or perhaps they were just happier. These seem to be the small-fruited type that keeps popping up. They may have also adapted to the area or drifted a bit genetically. Bigger is good!

Seminole Pumpkin(s) #18: Dan and Stephanie F. (Jacksonville)

NOTES: These look like the common small type I’ve gotten from the extension office. Dan reports that the vines went “crazy,” which fits the vigor reported by all Seminole pumpkin growers. The one thing that looks different on these is the bunny ears on the pumpkin to the far left. I haven’t seen bunny ears on a Seminole pumpkin before – perhaps it’s a trait worth breeding for.

(Dan also writes “My kids have watched the water chestnut video so many times. They think you’re hilarious. I save your site until last everyday when I do my internet browsing. Saving the best for last.”)

Thanks, Dan – I really appreciate it. I love seeing children that are interested in gardening.

Seminole Pumpkin(s) #19: Gene Smith

(Greenville, SC)

Gene writes: “I grew out a butternut/Seminole cross this year from 2014 seeds from Twin Oaks seed farm in Virginia, I think they were f4 generation. They had a lot of variability, some neck pumpkins up to 16 lbs, some butternut shapes and some with long necks. Good taste! The important thing to me was they were totally resistant to Downey mildew, probably because they out grew it, vines were huge! I’m in Greenville SC, not Florida. I bought them from a coop, Seedwise and have saved some seeds, plus will order the F5 from them for 2016. The green ones are Geramoun Martinique from Baker Creek, the rest are butternut/Seminole cross from this summer. The cut one weighed 16 lbs.”

SeminolePumpkin-GeneSmith-1
SeminolePumpkin-GeneSmith-2

Here are the green Geraumon Martinique pumpkins Gene also grew:

GeramounMartinique-GeneSmith-3

NOTES: The cross between butternut and Seminole is quite apparent in the top images. Interestingly, the Geraumon Martinique squash is able to interbreed with Seminole pumpkins since they’re both in the same C. moshata group. It would be quite interesting to see what would happen with the next few generations if they happened to cross in the field. Butternut/Geraumon Martinique/Seminoles – with downy mildew resistance? Good potential. Thanks for the photos and write-up, Gene.

Seminole Pumpkin #20: Darlene

(Kansas)

NOTES: Darlene writes “This is my Seminole pumpkin (immature). I first got the seed from Baker Creek. My saved seed has remained true to the original seed for approx. 5 years. This years plants were grown from my saved seed which was 4 years old. When mature the pumpkin is beige colored with bright orange inside. It can be quite large maybe 8 pounds but there is some variety of size and color on one vine. They are always more flat than pear shaped. The vines are extremely long growing as much as 54 ft. from tip to tip and having 30 pumpkins on one plant. The flesh is firm and delicious. You can use it in deserts and it needs little sugar. It’s also good in savory dishes. I have kept harvested pumpkins for as long as one year. I started growing it to get something resistant to squash bug and this is; however, squash bugs will go to it when they are done with the regular pumpkin. I grow a regular pumpkin as a kind of trap crop. I’ve always grown them in soil rich with compost and manure and they are grown organically. I think they are fantastic, the best heirloom vegetable in my garden.”

Unlike some vegetables, squash and pumpkins are very genetically robust and suffer little if any from inbreeding depression, meaning you can save seeds for years without much trouble. Kudos to Darlene for maintaining this lie for five years thus far. Her comparison between these and regular pumpkins is quite helpful. Seminole pumpkins do seem to have some serious pest resistance compared with traditional strains. In this case, it may be the difference between C. moshata and C. pepo.

Seminole Pumpkin 21: Robert Harbuck

(Ormond Beach, FL)

Seminole-pumpkin-bloom-Ormond Seminole-pumpkin-Ormond-Beach

This is the larger-fruited strain which I think is related to the “tan cheese” Amish C. moschata pumpkins. Robert writes that these pumpkin seeds were “from a lady in Ormond.” Crop from spring 2018.

Seminole Pumpkin 22: Corey Ellerbe

(Polk County, FL)

Corey writes: “I’ve had a pretty good harvest this year (13 and counting). Grown in Polk County FL. I got the seeds from Mary’s Heirloom Seeds.”

Looks like the regular small, heirloom type to me. Wonderful classic shape.

Seminole Pumpkin 23: Oliver S

(Deland, FL)

Oliver writes: “Hey, here are some photos from my Seminoles this year for the Seminole Pumpkin Project!”

Seeds: Crispy Farms (a small local Florida seed seller)

When: Planed in Feb, harvested in late June, 2021

Where: DeLand, FL so zone 9a/b, about 20 miles from the coast

How: Planted in slightly enriched sand, full sun and fertilized with Dr. Earth 2-2-2, Magnesium Sulfate and Bone Meal, mulched with leaves and watered with rain water and filtered city water.

Result: About a dozen of small but delicious pumpkins with deep orange flesh from 2lbs up to 5lbs. All of them pretty uniform pale orange skin, no crosses and tons of seeds.

* * *

Nice work, Oliver. That is a classic Seminole pumpkin. They look just like the ones I got from Alex Ojeda years ago.

FINALLY: Do you grow Seminole pumpkins? Send me your stories and pictures for this collection!