Types of Pumpkins With Pictures and Names | A Visual Field Guide

Pumpkins split into five main groups—carving, pie, mini, giant, and ornamental—each with distinct varieties like Howden, Sugar Pie, and Atlantic Giant.

For the full breakdown, see our best Autumn Fall Pumpkins guide.

Every fall, the same scene plays out at farm stands and grocery stores: a towering pile of orange gourds, all labeled simply “pumpkins.” But that label hides real differences. Whether you’re choosing pumpkins for a jack-o’-lantern, a Thanksgiving pie, or a porch display that lasts until December, the variety you pick determines how well it performs. The guide below covers the main types of pumpkins with pictures and names so you can match the right gourd to the job.

What Are the Main Types of Pumpkins?

The five practical categories cover nearly every pumpkin you’ll encounter: carving types bred for hollow interiors and sturdy walls, culinary types with dense sweet flesh, mini types for decoration, giant types grown for competition weight, and ornamental heirlooms prized for color and shape.

Behind the scenes, botanists separate pumpkins into four main species:

• Cucurbita pepo — most carving and pie pumpkins
• Cucurbita maxima — giants and many blue or pink ornamentals
• Cucurbita moschata — processing varieties and tan-skinned types
• Cucurbita argyrosperma — Southern-adapted cushaw types

Knowing the species matters less than knowing the variety name—that’s what tells you whether you’re buying something for the carving knife or the pie plate.

Popular Pumpkin Varieties and What Each Is For

Each named variety has a specific best use, and mixing them up is the most common mistake. The table below compresses the essentials so you can identify what you’re looking at.

Gardening Know How’s guide to common pumpkin varieties walks through the distinguishing traits of each type in more detail.

Carving vs. Eating vs. Decorative: Which Should You Pick?

Match the pumpkin to the task. Carving types like Howden have thicker walls that hold up to a knife but bland flesh. Pie types like Sugar Pie have sweet, dense flesh but thin walls that collapse when carved. Decorative varieties like Baby Boo and Jarrahdale last longer on the porch because they’re bred for skin durability.

A common misconception is that ornamental pumpkins are inedible. Several decorative types—Cotton Candy, Blue Doll, and Full Moon—are perfectly edible, just less flavorful than dedicated pie varieties. Another mix-up: confusing Cinderella with Fairytale. Cinderella is the red-orange flattened Rouge Vif d’Étampes, while Fairytale is the tan Musque de Provence. They look similar from a distance but are distinct varieties.

FAQs About Pumpkin Varieties

What’s the difference between a pumpkin and a squash?

Botanically, there isn’t one—both belong to the Cucurbita genus. Pumpkins are simply a type of winter squash that happens to be round, orange, and ribbed. The same species that produces Sugar Pie pumpkins also produces zucchini and acorn squash varieties.

Can you eat a carving pumpkin?

Technically yes, but you won’t enjoy it. Carving varieties like Howden have watery, stringy, bland flesh—fine for livestock feed but disappointing in a pie. For cooking, choose Sugar Pie, Long Island Cheese, or Fairytale varieties with denser, sweeter flesh.

How big do giant pumpkins actually get?

Home growers without competition ambitions can still produce impressively large pumpkins in the 100–500 pound range with proper care.