Pumpkin

autumn · vegetables · growing · giant

Orange but not always. While we think of pumpkins as bright orange, they can actually be yellow, white, green, or even blue depending on the variety. The orange ones just became super popular for decoration.

Part of a big family. Pumpkins belong to the Cucurbita genus, which means they're cousins with squashes, cucumbers, and melons. They're all in the same plant family that loves warm weather and lots of space to spread out.

Mega-sized growing. Pumpkin vines can sprawl across the ground and grow really long, sometimes spreading 10 feet or more. The fruits develop slowly through summer and fall until they're ready to harvest in October.

More than decoration. Pumpkins aren't just for carving and Halloween, people cook with them to make soup, pie, bread, and lots of other delicious foods. The seeds can be roasted and eaten as a tasty snack too.

A New World crop. Pumpkins originally came from the Americas and were grown by Native Americans for thousands of years before Europeans discovered them and spread them around the world.