Gardening Plants & Flowers Vegetables

22 Varieties of Winter Squashes You Can Grow in Your Garden

By
Nadia Hassani
Nadia Hassani
Nadia Hassani

Nadia Hassani is a a Penn State Master Gardener with nearly 20 years of experience in landscaping, garden design, and vegetable and fruit gardening.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process
Published on 08/10/23
winter squash

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Winter squash is commonly associated with butternut or acorn squash since those can easily be found in a produce aisle. However, there are dozens of incredible winter squash varieties gardeners can plant and harvest in their own outdoor space.

Winter squashes come in a wide range of sizes, from short and long trailing vines to bush- and semi-bush types. The size of the fruit also varies greatly. 

Here is a list of 22 winter squashes that deserve a spot in your garden.

  • 01 of 22

    Acorn Squash

    Acorn squash

    duckycards / Getty Images

    This acorn-shaped winter squash has been a favorite among home gardeners because it has a bushy habit and is easy to grow. It has a thick green rind with pronounced longitudinal ridges and sweet yellow-orange flesh. There are also white acorn squash varieties, such as ‘Cream of the Crop’, which take longer to mature. Because acorn squash is prone to getting powdery mildew, pick a resistant variety such as ‘Sweet REBA’ or ‘Autumn Delight’.

    • Name: Acorn squash (Cucurbita pepo)
    • Days to Maturity: 80 to 100 days
    • Weight: 1 to 3 pounds
    • Open-pollinated/hybrid: Depends on variety
  • 02 of 22

    Banana Squash

    Pink banana squash

    JohnatAPW / Getty Images

    Although banana squash can get huge, it is best to pick it when it’s less than 30 inches long. The shape is nearly cylindrical, unlike any other winter squash, and the flesh is sweet, thick, firm, and dry yet not stringy. A popular variety is ‘Banana Pink Jumbo’.

    • Name: Banana squash (Cucurbita maxima)
    • Days to Maturity: 100 to 105 days
    • Weight: 10 to 35 pounds
    • Open-pollinated/heirloom: Open-pollinated
  • 03 of 22

    Black Futsu Squash

    Black futsu squash

    Kseniya_Milner / Getty Images

    This Japanese heirloom squash with bumpy yet edible skin is valued for its firm, bright orange, and fruity flesh. The plant has long vines, so this is not a suitable variety for small spaces.

    • Name: Black futsu squash (Cucurbita moschata)
    • Days to Maturity: 105 days
    • Weight: 2 to 4 pounds
    • Open-pollinated/hybrid: Open-pollinated
  • 04 of 22

    Boston Marrow Squash

    Boston Marrow Squash

    David Blaine / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0

    This heirloom variety dating back to the 1830s was once a standard winter squash variety in the United States. It has bright red-orange skin and is shaped like a Hubbard squash. The flesh is very dry, flaky, and fiber-free.

    • Name: Boston marrow squash (Cucurbita maxima)
    • Days to Maturity: 100 to 110 days
    • Weight: 10 to 20 pounds
    • Open-pollinated/hybrid: Open-pollinated
    Continue to 5 of 22 below
  • 05 of 22

    Buttercup Squash

    Buttercup squash

    bhofack2 / Getty Images

    Inside the hard, thick green skin of this winter squash is a creamy, deep orange, and sweet flesh. This heirloom squash has been a long-time New England favorite. Look for ‘Burgess’, a bush-type variety noted for its thick, fine-grained flesh.

    • Name: Buttercup squash (Cucurbita maxima)
    • Days to Maturity: 90 to 100 days
    • Weight: 3 to 4 pounds
    • Open-pollinated/hybrid: Open-pollinated
  • 06 of 22

    Carnival Squash

    Carnival squash

    Firn / Getty Images

    These colorful small winter squashes grow on semi-bushy plants. In hot weather, the green coloring prevails whereas in cooler temperatures the skin becomes yellow-orange.

    • Name: Carnival squash (Cucurbita pepo)
    • Days to Maturity: 85 to 95 days
    • Weight: 1.5 pounds
    • Open-pollinated/hybrid: Hybrid

     

  • 07 of 22

    Butternut Squash

    Butternut squash

    JTGrafix / Getty Images

    For good reason, butternut squash has become one of the favorite winter squashes grown by home gardeners. The winter squash with a light brown shell has a very sweet yellow flesh and it keeps very well. There are several varieties with a considerable range in the days to maturity. ‘Waltham’ is popular for its shorter plants and matures in about 80 days. Butterscotch is a semi-bush hybrid that also matures early. 

    • Name: Butternut squash (Cucurbita moschata)
    • Days to Maturity: 60 to 110 days
    • Weight: 2 to 3 pounds
    • Open-pollinated/hybrid: Depends on variety

     

  • 08 of 22

    Connecticut Field Pumpkin

    Connecticut field pumpkin

    Bud Freund / Getty Images

    If it pains you to throw out a decorative pumpkin after Halloween, consider growing this heirloom pumpkin from New England. The Connecticut field pumpkin is large enough for carving as well as tasty. It was used traditionally for pumpkin pie, but the flesh is equally good in soups.

    • Name: Connecticut field pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo)
    • Days to Maturity: 100 to 110 days
    • Weight: 15 to 20 pounds
    • Open-pollinated/heirloom: Open-pollinated
    Continue to 9 of 22 below
  • 09 of 22

    Delicata Squash

    Delicata squash

    Photo by Cathy Scola / Getty Images

    The shape of this cream-colored winter squash with dark green stripes lends itself to baking and stuffing. The flesh is very sweet. ‘Honey Boat’ is a variety with coppery skin instead of the standard yellow. ‘Jester’ is a hybrid with tapered ends and short vines.

    • Name: Delicata squash (Cucurbita pepo)
    • Days to Maturity: 100 days
    • Weight: 1 to 2 pounds
    • Open-pollinated/hybrid: Depends on variety
  • 10 of 22

    Galeux d’Eysines Squash

    Galeux d’Eysines squash

    Firn / Getty Images

    With peanut-size warts covering the salmon-colored skin, this is a winter squash that stands out. This French heirloom type from the southwest of France has orange flesh that is sweet, silky, fragrant, and moist, with a hint of sweet potato.

    • Name: Galeux d’Eysines squash (Cucurbita maxima)
    • Days to Maturity: 90 to 105 days
    • Weight: 10 to 20 pounds
    • Open-pollinated/hybrid: Open-pollinated
  • 11 of 22

    Green Striped Cushaw Squash

    Green striped cushaw squash

    AA Design Shoppe / Getty Images

    In the American Southwest (or anywhere else in a hot, humid climate), consider growing this large white crookneck squash with pale green stripes. As a squash native to southern Mexico and the West Indies, it is very tolerant of humid weather. The flesh makes delicious pumpkin pies. The variety is also known as Tennessee sweet potato squash. You do need space, though, as the vines get quite large, and the squash has a thin skin, so it does not store long-term.

    • Name: Green striped cushaw squash (Cucurbita argyrosperma)
    • Days to Maturity: 95 to 120 days
    • Weight: 12 to 25 pounds
    • Open-pollinated/heirloom: Open-pollinated
  • 12 of 22

    Honeynut Squash

    Honeynut squash

    RN Pierce / Getty Images

    A cross between butternut and buttercup squash, this squash is smaller and sweeter than butternut squash. Its skin turns from green to tan and deep orange as it is aging in storage.

    • Name: Honeynut squash (Cucurbita moschata)
    • Days to Maturity: 110 days
    • Weight: 8 ounces to 1 pound
    • Open-pollinated/hybrid: Open-pollinated
    Continue to 13 of 22 below
  • 13 of 22

    Hubbard Squash

    Blue Hubbard squash

    jatrax / Getty Images

    Hubbard squash is a large winter squash, either round or elongated, with tough, thick skin. It is used in cooking much the same way as the flesh of a pumpkin, as a filling for pies and puree in other dishes. A popular variety is Blue Hubbard squash with a unique blue colored-skin.

    • Name: Hubbard squash (Cucurbita maxima)
    • Days to Maturity: 100 days
    • Weight: 15 to 40 pounds
    • Open-pollinated/heirloom: Open-pollinated
  • 14 of 22

    Kabocha Squash

    Kabocha squash

    y-studio / Getty Images

    The are many different types of kabocha but you can easily identify this Japanese winter squash by its squat, pumpkin-like shape, and hard, knobby skin. The flesh is always an intense yellow-orange color and it’s dry, flaky, and sweet. Probably the most well known is the green kabocha with some stripes, followed by red kabocha. Popular hybrid varieties include ‘Winter Blush’, ‘Winter Sweet’, and ‘Sunshine.

    • Name: Kabocha squash (Cucurbita maxima)
    • Days to Maturity: 85 to 95 days
    • Weight: 1 to 3 pounds
    • Open-pollinated/heirloom: Depends on variety
  • 15 of 22

    Lakota Squash

    lakota squash

    PxFuel

    One of the lesser-known heirloom winter squashes is this pear-shaped winter squash that is so pretty that it can easily double as a fall decoration. The skin is bright orange streaked with dark green. The sweet, fine-grained is excellent for pies or soups.

    • Name: Lakota squash (Cucurbita maxima)
    • Days to Maturity: 85 to 100
    • Weight: 5 to 7 pounds
    • Open-pollinated/heirloom: Open-pollinated
  • 16 of 22

    Long Island Cheese Pumpkin

    Long Island cheese pumpkin

    Vezzani Photography / Getty Images

    This heirloom pumpkin looks like a wheel of cheese, hence its name (another name is Cinderella pumpkin). The skin is smooth and tan, covering a deep orange, moderately sweet, and stringless flesh that is a favorite for making pies. It is also valued for holding up in storage for months. 

    • Name: Long Island cheese pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata)
    • Days to Maturity: 90 to 110 days
    • Weight: 6 to 10 pounds
    • Open-pollinated/heirloom: Open-pollinated
    Continue to 17 of 22 below
  • 17 of 22

    Musquee de Provence

    Musquee de Provence

    Firn / Getty Images

    The seeds of this heirloom winter squash from the south of France might not be the easiest to find but they are worth hunting down (sometimes it is called Fairytale). The skin of this large, heavily lobed, and ribbed flat squash turns a deep brown when ripe at the end of its long growing season. The flesh is thick and flavorful. It is also valued for its long storage.

    • Name: Musquee de Provence (Cucurbita moschata)
    • Days to Maturity: 110 to 125 days
    • Weight: 15 to 20 pounds
    • Open-pollinated/heirloom: Open-pollinated

     

  • 18 of 22

    Red Kuri Squash

    Red kuri squash

    Martina Unbehauen / Getty Images

    This teardrop-shaped squash has edible skin and smooth, sweet flesh. It is also known as orange Hokkaido after the Japanese island where it was bred from a Hubbard squash.

    • Name: Red kuri (Cucurbita maxima)
    • Days to Maturity: 85 to 95 days
    • Weight: 3 to 5 pounds
    • Open-pollinated/heirloom: Open-pollinated
  • 19 of 22

    Spaghetti Squash

    Spaghetti squash

    Steve Cicero / Getty Images

    Because it makes an excellent pasta alternative, spaghetti squash has gained tremendous popularity. Besides a sweet, nutty flavor, it is the stringy, noodle-like consistency that makes a good spaghetti squash. ‘Tivoli’ is a hybrid with very short vines and a sturdy, upright growth habit. ‘Angel Hair’ is a hybrid with small fruit, just enough for 1 to 2 servings.

    • Name: Spaghetti squash (Cucurbita pepo)
    • Days to Maturity: 88 to 100 days
    • Weight: 2 to 3 pounds
    • Open-pollinated/heirloom: Depends on variety
  • 20 of 22

    Sugar Pumpkin

    Sugar pumpkin

    GomezDavid / Getty Images

    The smooth, firm, bright orange flesh of this small heirloom variety makes it a preferred choice for pies, hence their other name, pie pumpkins. Unlike carving pumpkins, the fruit only reaches about 7 inches in diameter.

    • Name: Sugar pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo)
    • Days to Maturity: 90 to 110 days
    • Weight: 2 to 4 pounds
    • Open-pollinated/heirloom: Open-pollinated

     

    Continue to 21 of 22 below
  • 21 of 22

    Sweet Dumpling Squash

    Sweet dumpling squash

    Zen Rial / Getty Images

    Aptly named after its outstandingly sweet taste, this small winter squash has a tender, orange flesh. The fruit is shaped like a miniature pumpkin and the skin is ivory-white with green stripes.

    • Name: Sweet dumpling squash (Cucurbita pepo)
    • Days to Maturity: 90 to 100 days
    • Weight: 1 pound
    • Open-pollinated/heirloom: Open-pollinated
  • 22 of 22

    Turban Squash

    Turban squash

    Jacky Parker Photography / Getty Images

    With its turban shape, bright orange skin streaked with green, this is undoubtedly one of the most visually striking winter squashes. It is not only edible with mildly sweet flesh, but it is also great for fall displays.

    • Name: Turban squash (Cucurbita maxima)
    • Days to Maturity: 80 to 100 days
    • Weight: 5 pounds
    • Open-pollinated/hybrid: Open-pollinated

Learn More 

Once you have decided which winter squash you want to grow, here are more tips to get you started:

How to Plan a Square Foot Garden to Grow Your Favorite Veggies