Watermelon, a widely appreciated fruit, brings refreshing sweetness globally. While often associated with summer picnics, its cultivation offers a year-round supply. The diversity within this popular fruit extends beyond familiar red-fleshed, striped varieties, showcasing variations in size, color, and texture, reflecting a rich history of cultivation and selective breeding.
How Watermelons Are Grouped
Watermelons are broadly categorized by distinct characteristics. One primary grouping considers the presence or absence of mature seeds, dividing them into seeded and seedless types. Seeded watermelons contain fertile, dark seeds, while seedless varieties possess tiny, undeveloped white seed coats that are edible and do not mature into hard seeds. Seedless watermelons, accounting for approximately 90% of U.S. cultivation, are developed through hybridization.
Size also offers a common classification, distinguishing between “icebox” and “picnic” watermelons. Icebox watermelons are smaller, generally weighing 5-15 pounds, suitable for single servings or fitting easily into a refrigerator. In contrast, picnic watermelons are much larger, ranging from 15-45 pounds, traditionally chosen for feeding a crowd. Mini or personal-sized watermelons, weighing 1-7 pounds, have also become popular for individual consumption.
Flesh color is another striking characteristic; red is most common, but varieties also feature pink, yellow, orange, or white flesh. Red or pink hues come from lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. Yellow and orange flesh varieties contain different carotenoid pigments, giving them distinct coloration and sometimes a sweeter, honey-like flavor.
Rind appearance provides another categorization, varying from solid green to distinct striped or mottled patterns. Some rinds are a uniform dark green, while others display light green with dark green stripes, or even a grayish-green. These genetically controlled patterns contribute to the visual diversity of watermelons.
A World of Watermelon Varieties
Over 1,200 varieties are cultivated globally, with approximately 300 common in North and South America, offering extensive diversity. Specific varieties embody these broad classifications, showcasing unique combinations of size, flesh color, and rind patterns.
Among picnic-sized watermelons, ‘Crimson Sweet’ is a widely recognized variety known for its high sugar content and bright red flesh, typically weighing up to 25 pounds. It features a classic rind pattern of light green skin with dark green stripes. Another large variety is ‘Jubilee’, an oblong melon with light green rinds and dark green stripes, producing sweet, firm red flesh, often weighing 26-38 pounds. ‘Black Diamond’ is a classic oblong variety with a smooth, dark greenish-black rind and rich red flesh, growing up to 50 pounds.
For smaller options, ‘Sugar Baby’ is a popular icebox watermelon, known for its compact 8-10 pound size, a solid dark green rind, and dense red flesh. This variety fits easily into a refrigerator.
Beyond familiar red flesh, yellow and orange varieties provide a different flavor experience. ‘Yellow Doll’ is an icebox-sized yellow-fleshed watermelon, typically weighing 5-6 pounds, with sweet, dense, and crisp yellow flesh. For orange-fleshed options, ‘Orangeglo’ is a notable variety, producing large melons weighing 20-30 pounds with a striped green exterior and a juicy, orange interior, often described as exceptionally sweet with tropical undertones. ‘Tendersweet Orange’ is another heirloom orange-fleshed variety, averaging 35 pounds with a traditional striped rind.
Unique heirloom varieties further highlight watermelon’s genetic breadth. ‘Moon and Stars’ is distinctive for its dark green rind speckled with small yellow dots, resembling a constellation, and can have either red or yellow flesh, often weighing around 15 pounds. Another example is ‘Cream of Saskatchewan’, an icebox variety with a thin, light green rind striped with dark green, and white or cream-colored, very sweet flesh. This wide array ensures a watermelon exists for nearly any preference, from individual servings to large gatherings, and from classic red to more exotic colors.