Everything Pumpkin: Fun Facts and Lore About America’s Favorite Autumn Squash
It's our own pumpkin patch! We've put together our favorite pumpkin recipes, facts, growing tips and more -- all in one spot!
Pumpkin is the icon of American autumn. Pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin patches, jack-o’-lanterns, pumpkin pie. The fruit (yes, fruit) is native to the Americas and has been grown by Indigenous peoples for thousands of years. Here are some of the better facts about the pumpkin that everyone should know.
Quick Reference
- Origin: native to North and Central America; grown by Indigenous peoples for at least 7,000 years.
- Botanically: a fruit, technically a berry (a pepo).
- Annual U.S. crop: 1.5 billion pounds, mostly Illinois, Indiana, Ohio.
- Jack-o’-lantern origin: Irish folklore about a wandering spirit named Stingy Jack. Originally carved turnips.
- Pumpkin pie: first American cookbook recipe appeared in 1796.
- World record: the largest pumpkin ever grown weighed 2,749 lbs (Italy, 2021).
Pumpkin Botany
Pumpkin is botanically a fruit, specifically a pepo (a type of berry with a hard rind). It grows on vines in the Cucurbitaceae family along with squash, gourds, and cucumbers. The most common Halloween pumpkin variety in the U.S. is Connecticut Field. Sugar pumpkins (smaller, sweeter) are the pie variety.
History of the Pumpkin in America
Indigenous peoples of North and Central America domesticated pumpkin at least 7,000 years ago. The Three Sisters method (corn, beans, squash grown together) was foundational to Indigenous farming. Pilgrims at the first Thanksgiving ate pumpkin, although not pumpkin pie; the first known recipe for pumpkin pie in an American cookbook appeared in Amelia Simmons’s American Cookery (1796).
Jack-O’-Lantern Origin
The carved jack-o’-lantern comes from Irish folklore about Stingy Jack, a wandering spirit cursed to walk the Earth with a hollowed-out turnip lit by a coal. Irish immigrants brought the tradition to America in the 1800s and substituted the much larger pumpkin for the turnip. The custom became inseparable from American Halloween.
Pumpkin Stats
- The U.S. grows about 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkin annually.
- Illinois is the top producer (Morton, Illinois, calls itself the Pumpkin Capital of the World).
- Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Michigan round out the top 5.
- About 80% of pumpkin demand comes in October.
- About 90% of processed pumpkin (canned) is Libby’s, which uses a special variety called Dickinson.
- The largest pumpkin ever grown weighed 2,749 lbs (Stefano Cutrupi, Italy, 2021).
Pumpkin Spice
Pumpkin spice is not actually made from pumpkin. It is a blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves; the spices traditionally used in pumpkin pie. The blend gained mainstream momentum after Starbucks launched the Pumpkin Spice Latte in 2003. The latte itself originally contained no real pumpkin (it does now). The blend works in baking, oatmeal, coffee, and cocktails.
Tell Us
What is your favorite pumpkin tradition? Carving a jack-o’-lantern, baking a pie, growing a giant in the backyard? Tell us in the comments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is pumpkin a fruit or a vegetable?
Botanically, pumpkin is a fruit (specifically a pepo, a type of berry with a hard rind). Culinarily, it is treated as a vegetable.
What is the difference between a sugar pumpkin and a carving pumpkin?
Sugar pumpkins are smaller, sweeter, and have firmer flesh; they are bred for cooking. Carving pumpkins (Connecticut Field) are larger, stringier, and watery; bred for jack-o’-lanterns, not the kitchen.
Why does Starbucks pumpkin spice latte have so much marketing power?
The PSL launched in 2003 and became a cultural moment within a few years. The seasonal release and limited-time-only marketing created scarcity-driven demand. Other companies follow the same playbook.
How long do pumpkins last after Halloween?
Whole, uncarved pumpkins last 2-3 months in a cool spot. Carved pumpkins last 5-10 days before mold sets in.
What’s the largest pumpkin ever grown?
2,749 pounds, grown by Stefano Cutrupi in Italy in 2021. The U.S. record is 2,560 pounds, set in 2020 by Travis Gienger of Anoka, Minnesota.
This article was published by the Staff at FarmersAlmanac.com. Any questions? Contact us at questions@farmersalmananac.com.
- Farmers' Almanac Staff
- Farmers' Almanac Staff
- Farmers' Almanac Staff
- Farmers' Almanac Staff
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