Looking for some natural black pumpkins for your autumn celebrations?
Black pumpkins are select Cucurbita winter squash varieties with a green-black rind color. Some of these black pumpkin cultivars are Japanese heirlooms, while others are modern hybrid varieties. Some are great for culinary applications, while others make beautiful dark autumnal decorations.
Read on to learn all about some of the best black pumpkins to find for autumn.
1. Black Futsu pumpkin
Black Futsu pumpkin is a small-sized, black-green heirloom pumpkin from Japan. These unique pumpkins are round and very dark green as they start to mature, developing deep ribs and a wrinkly rind. To grow these pumpkins, the optimal soil temperature is between 25-35°C, and the seeds generally mature in 100-120 days.
Ripe Black Futsu Pumpkins turn a dusky brown color and weigh about 3 pounds. This variety is known for its long-keeping storage characteristics, decorative uses, and the sweet, nutty flavor of its flesh.
2. Midnight pumpkin
Midnight pumpkin is an almost-black mini pumpkin variety. These dark pumpkins grow on vigorous, disease-resistant, hybrid plants. Ripe Midnight Pumpkins weigh 1-2 pounds each. This variety’s seeds can be found at your local grocery store and plant nursery.
3. Black Kat pumpkin
Black Kat pumpkin is a mini, very dark green type of pumpkin. They have a classic, flattened round shape with traditional deep ridges. The plants are compact and vigorous, producing lots of gorgeous little near-black pumpkins from mid-summer through to autumn.
It is best to plant them two weeks after the last spring’s frost date, in well-draining soil, with a growing site that gets plenty of sunlight. Water regularly so that the pumpkins retain their moisture, and grow properly.
4. Kabocha pumpkin
Kabocha pumpkin is a small, dark green heirloom pumpkin variety from Japan, also known as the Japanese Black Pumpkin. These pumpkins have a rough outer rind and a bright orange interior. The sweet, fine-textured flesh is perfect for making curries, pumpkin bread, and other delicious fall recipes. Each pumpkin ranges in size from about 3-5 pounds.
5. Dark Knight pumpkin
Dark Knight Pumpkin is a medium-sized black-type pumpkin. These hybrid pumpkins hold their dark green-black rind color when picked early. They have a pear-like shape with gentle ribs down the side. Most Dark Knight Pumpkins reach about 8-10 pounds when picked. The Dark Knight Pumpkin’s seeds can be found at the local grocery or home hardware store.
6. Tetsukabuto squash
Tetsukabuto Squash is an exceptionally dark-green-black small pumpkin/winter squash. Tetsukabuto is a cross between the Kabocha Pumpkin and the Butternut Squash. It has a round, pumpkin-like shape and a wrinkled rind. Fruits are 3-5 pounds when ripe. This variety in particular looks great on your front porch during Halloween, as it contrasts nicely with the bright orange of the jack-o-lanterns.
7. Table Queen squash
Table Queen Squash is an heirloom acorn squash that doubles as a green-black pumpkin. These fruits have acorn-type ribs and are darkest in color when picked a bit early. Ripe squash weighs 2-3 pounds. After harvesting, store these pumpkins in a cool dark place, like a dark shelf or cabinet.
8. Yokohama squash
Yokohama squash is an heirloom winter squash from Japan. The wrinkly, irregular pumpkin-like fruits have a very dark green colored rind. This Japanese heirloom has been popular in the USA since the 1850s! Since they are so popular, the seeds can be easily found at the grocery store or plant nursery.
9. Bonbon squash
Bonbon squash is a pumpkin-shaped hybrid butternut squash with a dark green striped rind. Each squash weighs 4-5 pounds. Bonbon Squash plants are relatively compact for this type of fruit, growing reliably even in small spaces.
10. Batwing pumpkin
Batwing pumpkin is a unique pumpkin with an orange top and a black bottom that almost looks like it was dipped in black forest green paint. Some fruits are mostly orange, while others are mostly black. The dark color is the best when the fruits are harvested earlier. The seeds will need to be planted in a soil temperature of 70 – 80°F and will generally take 90 days to grow.
11. Cha Cha squash
Cha Cha squash is a dark green winter kabocha-pumpkin-type squash. Fruits are 4-5 pounds. The rinds have vertical stripes down the sides.
12. Thai Kang Kob pumpkin
Thai Kang Kob pumpkin is a richly-colored green winter squash that turns a dark brown in color. Pumpkins weigh about 6-8 pounds. They are very unique-looking heirlooms, which are also fantastic for cooking.
13. Black Forest squash
Black Forest squash is a small kabocha squash. These dark-colored fruits weigh 3-4 pounds. They are grown for their particularly sweet flesh. The seeds must be sowed after frost, or start indoors 2-3 weeks earlier in separate pots.
14. Miniwarts pumpkin
Miniwarts pumpkin is a yellow pumpkin covered in dark black warts. The pumpkins weigh about 3 pounds, and are strikingly unique, making them perfect to include in fall decor! The plants are very productive, producing lots of fantastic pumpkins throughout the late summer and early fall. This pumpkin’s stock of seeds can be found at your local grocer and hardware store.
15. Total Eclipse squash
Total Eclipse squash is a flat, dark-green pattypan squash. These little scallopinis aren’t traditional pumpkins, but make fantastic additions to fall home decor and cooked in autumn meals.
16. Colorado Sunrise pumpkin
Colorado Sunrise pumpkin is a unique medium-sized pumpkin with mottled pale orange and dark green rind. This hybrid variety grows to 8-12 pounds.
