Best Pumpkin and Squash Seeds for Kansas Gardens

Maggie from Autumn Prairie Pumpkins among heirloom pumpkins and squash on the farm porch at golden hour
From our Kansas patch to yours
Every heirloom & hybrid we grow, ranked for Kansas gardens.

A grower's quick-compare of every heirloom and hybrid we offer, chosen for Kansas heat, prairie wind, clay soil, squash vine borers, and mildew. Click any name for the full guide.

How to read it: days and fruit size come from each variety's listing. Vine borer and powdery mildew / disease ratings link to the evidence behind them. Most of our catalog is Cucurbita moschata, whose solid stems resist squash vine borer and whose foliage tends to tolerate powdery mildew better than common pepo pumpkins. We say tolerant, not bulletproof. Small-garden fit flags compact or trellis-friendly picks.

Variety Species Days Fruit size Best use Vine borer[4] Powdery mildew / disease Small garden
Seminole Pumpkin C. moschata 90–120 3–10 lb Pies, roasting, long storage High[4] Powdery + downy mildew[2] Needs space
Autumn Frost F1 C. moschata 100 4–6 lb Pies, roasting, fall decor High[4] Moschata field tolerance[1] Moderate
Long Island Cheese Pumpkin C. moschata 105 6–15 lb Pies, storage, classic heirloom High[4] Moschata field tolerance[1] Needs space
Mrs. Amerson's Pumpkin C. moschata 110 20–60 lb Pies, show size, storage High[4] Moschata field tolerance[1] Needs space
Magdalena Big Cheese C. moschata 110 10–20 lb Pies, storage, rare heirloom High[4] Moschata field tolerance[1] Needs space
Dickinson Pumpkin C. moschata 100 10–40 lb Pies, canning, storage High[4] Moschata field tolerance[1] Needs space
Autumn Crown C. moschata 90 2–4 lb Roasting, small kitchens High[4] Moschata field tolerance[1] Good
Musquee de Provence C. moschata 120 10–20 lb Pies, decor, storage High[4] Moschata field tolerance[1] Needs space
New England Cheddar F1 C. moschata 112 5–8 lb Pies, fall decor High[4] Hybrid disease tolerance Moderate
Spell Cast F1 C. moschata 100 4–7 lb Pies, decor High[4] Moschata field tolerance[1] Moderate
Waltham Butternut C. moschata 100–110 3–6 lb Roasting, soups, storage High[4] Moschata field tolerance[1] Good
South Anna Butternut C. moschata 105 4–6 lb Roasting, storage, disease resistance High[4] Downy mildew resistant (bred-in)[3] Good
Bakers Branch Butternut C. moschata 105 5–8 lb Roasting, long storage High[4] Moschata field tolerance[1] Moderate
Violina Rugosa Butternut C. moschata 100 18–24 in Roasting, storage, gourmet High[4] Moschata field tolerance[1] Moderate
Xiye Butternut C. moschata 100 3–5 lb Heat tolerance, storage High[4] Moschata field tolerance[1] Good
Honeynut Squash C. moschata 110 ½–1 lb Single-serve roasting, sweet flavor High[4] Moschata field tolerance[1] Good
Sucrine du Berry C. moschata 100 2–6 lb Sweet roasting, pies High[4] Moschata field tolerance[1] Good
Tahitian Melon Squash C. moschata 95–120 15–25 lb Huge harvests, long storage High[4] Moschata field tolerance[1] Needs space
Black Futsu C. moschata 100 3–5 lb Roasting, rare collectors High[4] Moschata field tolerance[1] Moderate
Shishigatani C. moschata 110 5–7 lb Rare collectors, roasting High[4] Moschata field tolerance[1] Moderate
Chirimen C. moschata 100–120 5–11 lb Rare collectors, roasting High[4] Moschata field tolerance[1] Needs space
Thai Kang Kob C. moschata 110 6–12 lb Tropical heat, storage High[4] Strong field tolerance[1] Needs space
Jamaican Tropical Pumpkin C. moschata 100–110 4–10 lb Tropical heat, soups, storage High[4] Moschata field tolerance[1] Needs space
La Estrella F1 C. moschata 125 4–8 lb Tropical heat, calabaza cooking High[4] Moschata field tolerance[1] Needs space
Guatemalan Green Ayote C. moschata 105–115 5–10 lb Tropical heat, roasting High[4] Moschata field tolerance[1] Needs space
Chinese Tropical Pumpkin C. moschata 100–110 4–8 lb Tropical heat, stir-fry, storage High[4] Moschata field tolerance[1] Needs space
Cuban Neck Pumpkin C. moschata 105 5–10 lb Tropical heat, soups High[4] Moschata field tolerance[1] Needs space
Pennsylvania Dutch Crookneck C. moschata 110–120 10–20 lb Pies, long storage High[4] Moschata field tolerance[1] Needs space
Tromboncino C. moschata 60–90 1–3 lb Trellising, summer eating High[4] Moschata field tolerance[1] Good (trellis)
Cushaw Green-Striped C. argyrosperma 100 10–25 lb Pies, Southern cooking High[4] Good field tolerance Needs space
Wan Fu F1 C. moschata 90–100 5–10 lb Kabocha roasting, sweet flesh High[4] Moschata field tolerance[1] Moderate
Sources for the vine borer & mildew ratingsThe underlined [1]-[4] marks in the table link straight to these sources.
  1. Powdery mildew resistance in Cucurbita (occurs in moschata, essentially never naturally in pepo): peer-reviewed study, PMC.
  2. Seminole resists powdery & downy mildew and squash vine borer: UF/IFAS, Growing Seminole Pumpkin.
  3. South Anna Butternut bred for downy mildew resistance (Seminole × Waltham, 12+ yrs selection): SARE, Breeding a Better Butternut.
  4. Squash vine borer biology & why solid moschata stems hold up: K-State Research & Extension, MF3309.

Quick picks

Best overall for Kansas

Seminole Pumpkin, Autumn Frost F1, Long Island Cheese Pumpkin

Best vine borer resistant

Seminole Pumpkin, Thai Kang Kob, Tahitian Melon Squash, Cushaw Green-Striped

Best mildew / disease resistance

Seminole Pumpkin, South Anna Butternut, Thai Kang Kob, New England Cheddar F1

Best for pies

Long Island Cheese Pumpkin, Dickinson Pumpkin, Mrs. Amerson's Pumpkin, Sucrine du Berry

Best for winter storage

Tahitian Melon Squash, Waltham Butternut, Bakers Branch Butternut, Seminole Pumpkin

Best for small gardens

Honeynut Squash, Sucrine du Berry, Autumn Crown, Tromboncino

Best rare heirlooms

Black Futsu, Shishigatani, Magdalena Big Cheese, Violina Rugosa Butternut

Best for beginners

Seminole Pumpkin, Waltham Butternut, Honeynut Squash, Xiye Butternut

Shop Vine Borer Resistant  ·  All Seeds  ·  Kansas Garden Seeds guide

Quick questions

When do I plant pumpkins in Kansas?

Direct-sow once soil passes 70°F, usually mid to late May in Zone 6b. Count back from days-to-maturity so it finishes before fall.

Are moschata pumpkins really better against vine borers and mildew?

Their solid, vining stems root as they run, so a borer rarely kills the whole plant the way it does a hollow pepo pumpkin. The species also tends to hold up to powdery mildew better than pepo, though that is tolerance, not immunity. See the evidence links in the chart.

Which varieties have documented disease resistance?

Seminole resists both powdery and downy mildew (UF/IFAS), and South Anna Butternut was bred over a decade specifically for downy mildew resistance (SARE / Common Wealth). Both are linked in the sources below.

Ready to pick? Shop the full All Seeds collection or narrow to Vine Borer Resistant varieties. Every order ships from our small family seed farm in Newton, Kansas.

Autumn Prairie Pumpkins is a small Kansas seed company. Resistance means a better fighting chance, not immunity; results depend on your soil, timing, and season.