Seminole Pumpkin

These small, cream-colored, bell-shaped fruits are sweeter than butternut and store at room temperature up to a year! Resistant to both vine borers and downy mildew and very heat tolerant—great for hot, humid climates.

Traditionally grown by Calusa, Creek, and Miccosukee peoples in Florida. The Seminole people named a region in the gulf of Southwest Florida "Chassahowitza," which means pumpkin hanging place. This could perhaps be that pumpkin, and it certainly fares better than most pumpkins in the Florida summer heat.

Pictured with Georgia Rattlesnake Watermelon.

Days to maturity: 120

Seeds per pack: 20

Germination rate: 96% on 12/21/23

Planting / harvesting notes

Direct sow in warm soil after the last frost, or seed indoors 2-3 weeks beforehand and transplant. Plant 3 seeds per hill spaced several feet apart, or seed in rows, one plant every 2-3 feet. Vines grow at least 10' if not much longer, so allow them space to sprawl. If grown in corn, you may need to train them so they won't pull it down! Avoid downy mildew by watering only at the base of the plant (not on the leaves!). Harvest when the stem begins to turn brown and woody and the fruit becomes hard, leaving a couple/few inches of stem. Cure in a dry or sunny place for a week, and then store in a cool (45-50 degrees) room for up to 12 months (however, keep an eye on it and use it at earliest sign of softening if not before).

Seed keeping notes

Squash is insect pollinated and requires about 1/2 a mile of isolation from other varieties of the same species, which in this case is C. moschata. The seeds will be fully mature on any squash when the stem of the fruit has turned brown and woody, so when you eat your squash, the seeds should also be ready for harvest. Separate the seeds from the flesh, rinse them, and dry them on a screen or paper product away from direct sunlight in a ventilated place. The plumpest and hardest seeds will be most viable.