12 Mini Pumpkin Varieties for a Small Garden

If you’re creating a vertical vegetable garden mini pumpkin varieties are a fantastic crop to grow vertically. Pumpkin plants can take up masses of garden space. Their vine creeps along the ground producing large leaves and heavy fruit. This isn’t always ideal for small spaces or balcony gardens.

Growing mini pumpkin varieties vertically is a great way to enjoy these Fall delights while saving valuable garden space.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase through one of these links I may earn a commission. This comes at no extra cost to you.

These mini pumpkins can be trained up vertical garden supports. Allowing you to grow lots of vegetables in a smaller patch of soil. Large pumpkins can damage the vine when growing vertically as they become heavy. So mini pumpkins are a great solution!

The best small pumpkin varieties to grow

All of these mini pumpkin varieties are perfect for Halloween decorations. Many of them have deliciously sweet, thick flesh that’s perfect for use in the kitchen too.

Below I’ve listed 12 mini pumpkin varieties, how big they are, and what you can make with them!

1. Early Sweet Sugar Pie

It’s all in the name! Early Sweet Sugar Pie pumpkins are perfect for making pumpkin pies. They produce, thick, sweet flesh that can be roasted, baked, or puréed into a soup. 

Fruit size and weight: Roughly 6 inches and 6-7 lb.

2. Jack Be Little

One of the smallest mini pumpkin varieties. Jack Be Little pumpkins have a flattened shape and usually grow to about the size of a baseball. They’re popular for Halloween decor and great for growing with kids. Because of its small size, the vine can usually produce 10+ fruits.

Fruit size and weight: Roughly 3-4 inches and 1/2-1 lb.

3. Baby Boo

A mini white pumpkin that makes excellent Halloween and fall decor. They tend to have long handles, and a stark white color when harvested early. Perfect for adding a ghostly twist to Halloween decorations. Baby Boo pumpkins are generally only used for decor.

Fruit size and weight: Roughly 3 inches and 1/2-1 lb.

4. Mystic

Great for Fall decor and pumpkin pies! Mystic pumpkins have sturdy handles and a bright orange, rounded shape. They resemble traditional-looking pumpkins but are smaller in size.

Fruit size and weight: Roughly 6-8 inches and 7-8 lb.

5. Small Sugar Pumpkin

An heirloom variety that’s a descendant of the Connecticut field pumpkin. Like the Early Sweet Sugar Pie, these mini pumpkins are perfect for making pumpkin pies. They have thick flesh that’s deliciously sweet and creamy when roasted.

This is a popular small pumpkin variety that you can find in Australia, the UK, and the US!

Fruit size and weight: Roughly 3-4 inches and 5-9 lb.

6. Baby Bear

Baby Bear pumpkins have a classic pumpkin shape. They’re perfect Halloween decor, but they also have thick, sweet flesh too. They produce ‘naked’ seeds which make a tasty treat when dry fried with a little salt and pepper.

Fruit size and weight: Roughly 3-6 inches and 1-2 lb.

7. Bat Wing

This small pumpkin produces fruits with a striking dark green and orange pattern. As the name suggests, the streaky pattern along the ribbed surface often resembles a wing! It’s another great choice for Halloween decor.

Fruit size and weight: Roughly 3 inches and 1/2-1 lb.

8. Tiger Striped

As these fruits grow they’ll develop a distinctive white coloring with orange stripes along the ribs. It’s popular as an ornamental centerpiece at Thanksgiving and Halloween parties. The Tiger Striped pumpkin is edible, but its thin flesh makes it great as a soup bowl instead.

Fruit size and weight: Roughly 4 inches and 1/2-1 lb.

9. Hooligan Pumpkin

With sweet and tasty flesh, these snack-sized pumpkins have a unique orange and white mottled pattern. They’re tasty veg to use in the kitchen and also great for Halloween decor too.

Fruit size and weight: Roughly 3-4 inches and 1/4-1/2 lb.

10. Wee Be Little

Similar to Jack Be Little, this bush variety produces lots of bright orange and perfectly formed mini pumpkins. Another great decor option, these look great trailing up a vertical planter like this combined planter and trellis from Amazon. Wee Be Little was a vegetable winner in the 1999 All-America Selections awards!

Fruit size and weight: Roughly 3.5 inches and 1/2-1 lb.

11. Sweet Lightning

A deliciously sweet mini pumpkin with a pretty mottled orange and white skin. They tend to produce fruits on bushy vines

Fruit size and weight: Roughly 3-5 inches and 1/2-1 lb.

12. Orange Smoothie

Orange Smoothie pumpkins have long handles and smooth orange skin. They make excellent pumpkins for Halloween for small children to carve or paint and are great vegetables for children to grow in containers. They were also a vegetable winner in the 2002 All-America Selections awards!

Fruit size and weight: Roughly 3.5 inches and 5-8 lb.

Where to find mini pumpkin seeds

Lots of nurseries and garden centers hold some of the popular mini pumpkin varieties like Jack Be Little and Small Sugar Pumpkin. So check out your local garden center first. Burpees, Harris Seeds, and Mr. Fothergills in the UK all stock some fantastic mini pumpkins.

For mini pumpkin varieties that are less common, you can check sites like eBay and Etsy. Lots of people practice seed saving, especially with heirloom varieties.

Tips for growing mini pumpkin varieties

Like all pumpkin and squash plants, to produce lots of fruits, mini pumpkin plants need lots of nutrients and moisture. To make sure your new mini pumpkin seeds have the best start check out our growing tips below.

Growing seeds

• Plant seeds 1/2 inch deep in potting soil and on their edge to help the new shoots find the light quicker.
• Place pots on a warm windowsill and keep the soil moist but not wet.
• Choose the right container. Pumpkin plants produce lots of roots and need lots of nutrition so they need to be planted in good-sized containers. These large plastic planters from Amazon are an ideal size for mini pumpkin plants.

General care

• As the plants develop keep them well-watered, especially if you’re potting them on into a container. Make sure not to let them get too waterlogged.
• To make sure they pollinate, you can help them along by using a paintbrush to take pollen off the male flowers and sprinkle it onto the female flowers.
• If you’re growing pumpkins vertically some of the heavier varieties might need a little support with a heavy fruit hammock.

Featured Image: Tiger Stripe and Baby Boo pumpkins | Photo by Alfred Schrock on Unsplash