Seeds
Chinese Tropical Pumpkin Seeds, Moschata Heirloom
$6.99
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A rare Chinese landrace moschata, vine borer resistant, heat tolerant, and almost absent from U.S. catalogs.
🛡️ Vine borer resistance: Excellent, the solid stems of Cucurbita moschata
The moschata group is the one that matters in a Kansas July. Solid, dense stems that vine borer larvae struggle to tunnel, and genuine tolerance for heat and humidity. Why species predicts survival here. resist the squash vine borer that kills most common pumpkins.
🌱 Free Shipping on Orders $25+, ships from Newton, Kansas.
✅ Germination Promise: if your seeds fail to germinate under proper growing conditions, contact us within one year and we will replace them or refund your purchase. See the details.
📖 Read our complete growing guide for this variety →
Chinese Tropical Pumpkin is a regional moschata landrace selected over generations in southern China for heat, humidity, and pest resistance. It's a working-garden variety, not a commercial cultivar, which is exactly why you can't find it anywhere else in the U.S. seed market.
The fruit is round to slightly flattened with variable tan-to-green skin and dense, sweet, deep orange flesh. Rich flavor, excellent storage, and the kind of toughness that comes from generations of selection under real pressure.
Like every variety in our catalog, it's Cucurbita moschata, which means vine borer resistance is built into the genetics. The thick fibrous stems block SVB larvae. In Kansas, where vine borer pressure peaks June through July and takes out pepo squash planting after planting, moschata is the only way to grow winter squash reliably. Vine borer resistance is kind of our thing at Autumn Prairie Pumpkins, and this one is one of the rarest on the list.
Variety Details
- Species: Cucurbita moschata, heirloom landrace, open-pollinated
- Origin: China (southern regional landrace)
- Fruit size: Round to flat, 4–8 lbs
- Skin: Variable tan to green
- Flesh: Dense, sweet, deep orange
- Days to maturity: ~100–110 days
- Storage: 4–6 months cured
- Vine borer resistance: High, thick-stemmed moschata genetics
- Heat tolerance: Very high
- Rarity: Extremely uncommon in U.S. seed catalogs
In the Kansas Garden
Full sun, well-draining soil, 8–12 feet of space per plant. Loves heat and handles humidity. Direct sow after soil hits 65°F or transplant 3–4 weeks before last frost in Zone 6b. Mulch heavy, feed with compost, rotate cucurbits yearly.
Read the full for planting dates, spacing, and curing tips.
Why Autumn Prairie Pumpkins
We're a small Kansas seed operation that built its whole catalog around vine borer resistance. Every variety we sell is hand-selected, hand-packed, and shipped from Newton, Kansas. Strong soil builds strong plants, and the right variety makes the whole job easier.
Will it ripen before frost? Chinese Tropical Pumpkin needs 100 to 110 days from sowing. In a typical Newton, Kansas Zone 6b season the first fall frost arrives between October 10 and 20, so direct sow by about June 13 to finish with a two week cushion. Planting later, or gardening in a different zone? Check your own planting window.
What growers are saying
Shipping & Satisfaction
We ship seeds and coffee via USPS from Newton, Kansas. Orders typically ship within 1 to 3 business days.
Seeds: Flat-rate shipping. Ships year-round.
Coffee: Packed fresh in Newton and shipped weekly.
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Growing Tips
Each seed packet includes detailed growing instructions. For additional help, visit our Growing Guides or reach out to us directly.
Seed life: 4 to 6 years stored cool, dry and dark. Germination is strongest in the first 2 to 3 years, so sow the freshest packet first and test older seed before you plan a bed around it.
Complete your patch
Most growers plant three or four varieties. Free shipping on orders over $25.00.
