Small pumpkins are easy to grow and fun to use in seasonal decorating. Their small size makes them perfect for fall centerpieces, quick recipes, and for smaller children to carve or paint. Here are some of the best varieties of small pumpkins for Halloween crafts, autumn decorations, and fall recipes.
Small pumpkins typically weigh no more than 5 pounds. There are even adorable mini varieties that weigh a half-pound or less! These small pumpkin varieties are the game changers when it comes to decorations and carvings. And if you have some left, try soups, hot drinks, pies, scones, and other yummy pumpkin-spiced recipes!
Apprentice
Apprentice is a small, round, orange hybrid pumpkin variety with great potential for decoration and cooking. The fruits are about 5 inches wide (weighing about a pound) with a deep orange colour. The exterior is exceptionally symmetrical, with little to no ribbing. Read more about the Apprentice variety (small orange pumpkin).
Baby Boo
Baby Boo is a mini bone-white pumpkin that grows to about 3 inches in diameter and 2 inches tall. These types are harvested a bit premature to get that chilling ghostly white colour. Baby Boo is popularly used for making Christmas and Halloween decorations and even table arrangements for weddings. Here are some seeds for growing Baby Boo pumpkins.
Batwing
Batwing pumpkins are known for their distinctive pattern, which makes these orange pumpkins almost appear to be dipped in dark-green paint (see examples of Batwing pumpkin patterns). Each pumpkin has unique “bat wing” patterning, weighing 0.5 to 1lb when fully mature. It makes spooky Halloween ghost faces when carved, and is also just lovely ornamental pumpkin all on its own!
Blaze
Blaze is a modern hybrid ornamental pumpkin with fire-like orange streaks running down its brilliant skin. Each plant grows around a dozen pumpkins, each one weighing about 3 lbs and growing to be 7″ in diameter. These are easy-to-grow small pumpkins that produce reliably and are perfect for fall decor.
Bumpkin
Bumpkin is a mini orange pumpkin variety producing lovely little fruits, 4 to 6 ounces in size. These pumpkins make for excellent small seasonal displays, especially indoors. Group them with complementing Gooligan and Hooligan pumpkins for a charming autumnal display.
When to Plant Pumpkins for Halloween
Casperita
Casperita is a small/mini white pumpkin variety used mainly for ornamental purposes. The fruit weighs 0.5 lb. to 1 lb. when mature. It has a beautiful ivory skin and a corresponding tender and sweet white flesh. Casperita makes for lovely decor crafts, like this mini white pumpkin fall centerpiece. Here are the hybrid seeds used to grow this type.
Cherokee Tan
Cherokee Tan is a tan-orange heirloom small pie pumpkin, reaching about 3-4 lbs per fruit. These plants are heat-resistant and the fruits store very well over winter. They have a slight ribbing and are lovely in rustic fall decor, as well as for culinary use. Here are some more details on this type from the seed supplier.
Crunchkin
Crunchkin is a hard-shelled mini orange pumpkin variety that stores for a long time, making it perfect for later celebrations like Thanksgiving. This mini pumpkin has prominent ribs and a light-orange, rustic tinge. This mini pumpkin is also used in floral decorations. Here are hybrid Crunchkin seeds so you can grow your own mini pumpkins for thanksgiving!
Gooligan
Gooligan is a white mini pumpkin growing to a mature weight of only 4 to 6 ounces in size. Unlike many other pumpkin varieties, Gooligan pumpkins are white and have no orange or other markings. Besides their miniature size, their unique color makes them an excellent treat for your kids in the fall.
Half Pint
Half Pint pumpkins are lovely, round, orange half-pound fruits that are excellent for halloween crafts with kids. This hybrid ornamental variety is easy to grow, easy to carve, and easy to paint. It’s the perfect mini jack-o-lantern variety, and can even be grown in a large container.
Hooligan
The Hooligan pumpkin is a mini, multi-coloured variety that has a diameter of about 3 inches wide and 2 inches high. Skin is a shiny, mottled white, yellow, and orange, while the inside flesh is good for eating. Your family will have tons of fun growing your own Hooligan pumpkins!
Jack-Be-Little
Jack-Be-Little is a classic orange miniature pumpkin. These adorable small pumpkins are 3″–4″ wide and 2″ tall. The skin has a light orange colour, the fruit is tasty, and these little guys are easy to decorate with. You (and the kids) will love these at first sight.
Jack-Be-Little pumpkins can be painted, hollowed out to hold tea lights, and even filled with yummy fall stuffing for an autumn meal. Best of all, mini pumpkins like this can be grown in 5-gallon containers, making them possible even in the smallest of apartment balcony gardens.
Jill-Be-Little
Jill-Be-Little is a mini dark-orange pumpkin variety. It stands out with its flattened shape and deep ribs. It weighs a half-pound when mature, taking on a dark orange color that adds a dramatic flair to fall decor. Jill-Be-Little has classic mini pumpkin dimensions of 3-4 inches diameter and about 2 inches in height. More about this type here (Johnny’s Seeds).
Lil’ Pump-Ke-Mon
Lil’ Pump-Ke-Mon pumpkins are small white pumpkins with skinny orange grooves running down the sides. Fruits generally weigh 1-2 pounds when mature, and have a squat form about 5-6 inches wide. Here are more details about this ornamental small pumpkin variety.
Lil’ Orange-Mon
The Lil’ Orange-Mon pumpkin is a 1-2 pound pumpkin with deep orange skin and light orange markings. The exterior features thin ribs adding to its potential for a stunning display. Flat-shaped fruits are about 4 inches wide and 2 inches tall. More details here (Harris Seeds).
Little October
Little October is one of the best dark-orange, round miniature ornamental pumpkin varieties. It is known for its fine form, shape, and size. Its diameter falls between 3 and 4 inches, with many pumpkins growing on one plant. The pumpkins are smooth and round with a stunning burnt orange tinge to the skin.
Little October pumpkins are perfect for a halloween decorating craft with kids. The smooth skin is easily painted or even coloured with permanent markers. Check with your seed supplier for more tips on decorating these cute small pumpkins.
Midnight
Midnight pumpkins are a small variety with very dark-green skin. The exterior is almost black, sometimes with slight orange markings. Mature fruits generally weigh 1-2 pounds. Seeds for midnight pumpkins are available from Harris seeds.
Munchkin
Munchkin is a classic, deeply-ribbed mini orange ornamental pumpkin. Growing to about 4 inches wide and 2 inches tall. It has a bright orange colour that’s perfect for autumn decor. Find more details about the Munchkin pumpkin here.
New England Sugar Pie
New England Sugar Pie is a small heirloom pumpkin known for its excellent taste and consistency when used in cooking. As the name suggests, it makes for terrific pies (and also for pumpkin spice lattes, autumn soups, and pumpkin muffins).
New England Sugar Pie pumpkins generally weigh less than 5 lbs and are 6″-8″ wide. The fruits are orange and quite spherical, making them excellent for autumn decor as well as cooking. These are great pumpkins for painting, carving, cooking, and even just displaying all on their own.
Orangita
Orangita is a nicely-shaped hybrid pumpkin with a deep orange color and prominent ribs. The fruit weighs between 1 and 1.5 lbs when mature. The interior is tender and sugary, like the acorn squash. Here are more details about the Orangita pumpkin.
Small Sugar
Small sugar is a smaller version of the classic orange Connecticut field pumpkin. With a diameter up to 10 inches, this pumpkin isn’t the smallest on this list, but it is a truly wonderful all-round pumpkin. Seeds for small sugar pumpkins are available from Burpee.
Spark
Spark is a miniature ribbed orange mini pumpkin variety similar to Hooligan and Jill-Be-Little. The ornamental fruit grows to around 3.5 inches in diameter and 2 inches tall. It weighs a 1/2 lb. when mature. Here are more details about the spark hybrid pumpkin.
Sweet Dumpling
Excellent for eating, Sweet Dumpling is a beautiful small pumpkin type generally sold as “sweet dumpling squash”. Fruits are white with dark green (and sometimes orange) ribbing down the sides. Each pumpkin weighs about a pound and is around 4″-5″ wide. Best of all, the flesh is tender, orange, and super sweet. Sweet Dumpling pumpkin seeds are available from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.
Wee-Be-Little
Wee-Be-Little is a cute, round, mini orange pumpkin about the size of a baseball. These miniature pumpkins are like tiny Jack-o-Lanterns, with skin smooth enough for painting and other Halloween crafts. The fruits are easy for little kids to handle and have the added bonus of tasting great when used in cooking.
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