Listening to talk radio this morning I heard someone grew a pumpkin this year that weighed 2,346 pounds! This is not the largest pumpkin ever but the guy also won $20,000 bucks in the process! Yes, there is a world of competitive giant pumpkin growing and they keep getting bigger and bigger. Pumpkins and Winter Squash Pumpkins and winter squashes are warm season crops that are grown using similar methods. The term “pumpkin” is often used for anything that is round and orange, while the term “squash” is used for an edible fruit of some other shape or color. The term “gourd” is used for various shapes and sizes of fruit used for decoration. Most pumpkins are either Cucurbita pepo or Cucurbita maxima species, while most squashes are Cucurbita pepo. Some winter squashes are Cucurbita moschata or Cucurbita argyrosperma. Most pumpkins have been developed for their ornamental qualities, although some varieties have been developed for pies or for hull-less seeds. Winter squashes are primarily for culinary purposes, although many have attractive ornamental characteristics as well.

Species of Squash and Pumpkins. Pumpkins, squash, and gourds are closely related crops that are members of the Cucurbit or vine crop family. There are four species of the genus Cucurbita used as vegetables, and crossing can occur within species only. Cross pollination, however, will only influence the crop if you save your own seed for next year’s crop.

The four species are listed below with some common varieties for each species. Only varieties within species will cross with each other

• Cucurbita pepo. Most jack-o-lantern pumpkins, zucchini, yellow summer squash, scallop or patty pan squash, acorn squash, most small, yellow-flowered gourds.

• Cucurbita maxima. Large pumpkins (Big Max, Atlantic Giant), hubbard squash, buttercup squash, delicata squash, Turk’s Turban squash.

• Cucurbita moschata. Dickinson field pumpkin, Kentucky field, butternut squash.

• Cucurbita argyrosperma. (formerly Cucurbita mixta) Green-striped cushaw, sweet potato squash, Japanese pie pumpkins

Pumpkins produce large, sprawling vines that take up a lot of space in the garden. Some pumpkin varieties are bush or semi-vining types that take less space but still spread. Numerous varieties exist that range widely in size, color, shape, eating quality, and other characteristics. Most decorative types are not flavorful for eating purposes.

For winter squashes, Cucurbita moschata and Cucurbita argyrosperma types are often more resistant to squash bugs and squash vine borers than other types and can be a good choice if insect pressure is a concern. Many types of winter squashes have newer varieties with smaller fruit size that make a meal for one or two people. Newer varieties include a few bush-types of winter squash that are good for small gardens.

AgriLife Extension horticulturist explains what sets fruits and vegetables apart.

Every fall, pumpkins steal the spotlight with multiple purposes: as decorations, for soups and in pies. But here’s a fun fact backed by science: this seasonal favorite is actually a fruit.

Joe Masabni, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service vegetable specialist and professor in the Texas A&M Department of Horticultural Sciences, said pumpkins are scientifically classified as fruits because of how they grow. Anything that starts from a flower is classified botanically as a fruit.

Why do people mistake pumpkins for vegetables?

People typically consider something as either a fruit or a vegetable based on how they eat it rather than how it grows.

“We see them as to whether we eat them as a dessert, salad or as part of a meal,” Masabni said.

For example, consider cucumbers or tomatoes. People typically don’t eat them as desserts, he said. They often eat cucumbers and tomatoes in salads or cooked meals, so they may think of them as vegetables, even though they’re fruits.

“The pumpkin is a tricky one, though,” he said, “because some people make soups or stews from pumpkins, which is a meal, while others make pies, which is a dessert. So that can lead to confusion.”

What’s the difference between a fruit and a vegetable?

The difference between a fruit and a vegetable lies in whether the produce starts as a flower.

“All plants start from a seed,” Masabni said. “Let’s take the example of lettuce as a vegetable. It makes more and more leaves, and then you harvest them and eat those leaves. If you let it go even longer, it will eventually make a flower stalk and make seeds that we harvest and store for next year’s crop.”

A pumpkin plant starts the same. However, its flowers eventually turn into the fruit we eat – in this case, the pumpkin itself.

“A pumpkin starts as a small plant with a few leaves, and as the leaves grow and more branches develop, flowers will start to bloom on the plant,” he said. “Those flowers then need to be pollinated by bees or other pollinators. Once a flower is pollinated, it develops into a fruit that we consume. So ultimately, fruit relies on pollination of the flower to become the thing we eat.”

What other ‘vegetables’ are actually fruits?

Besides pumpkins, some other fruits that are typically confused with vegetables are:

• Cucumbers
• Tomatoes
• Eggplants
• Corn
• Zucchini
• Okra
• String beans
• Squash
• Peppers

So, does it matter?

Maybe not at the dinner table, but it’s a fun fact to share at your next fall gathering.

“The fruit and vegetable debate is a fun one that hangs on the technical, scientific view of these plants that we consume,” Masabni said. “At the end of the day, we want to inform people, but we also want them to enjoy these plants as gardeners and at the dinner table.”