Watermelon Varieties - What's the Difference?

There are several watermelon varieties available to the backyard vegetable gardener. Some varieties are seedless. others have orange or yellow flesh, instead of red. Some varieties are small, while others can grow to more than 200 pounds. There's even a variety that has speckled skin that resembles the moon and stars in the night sky.

Here's a list of some more common watermelon varieties, along with fruit and plant descriptions.

Watermelon On Vine
  • Sugar Baby - matures in 75 days, very sweet melons weighing 9 pounds, red flesh, short vining plants, good for limited space

  • Moon and Stars - matures in 95 days, dark green skin with yellow spots resembling moon and stars in the night sky, sweet melons reach 40 pounds, pink to red flesh

  • Black Diamond - matures in 90 days, very round melon weighs up to 75 pounds, vibrant red flesh, good all-around watermelon

  • Yellow Crimson - matures in 80 days, round melons reach 20 pounds, bright yellow flesh with black seeds, sweet taste

  • Orange Tendersweet - matures in 85 days, bright orange flesh with white seeds, sweet and tender, melons reach 25 pounds

  • Orangeglo - matures in 90 days, very sweet and crisp, oval-shaped melons average 40 pounds, bright orange flesh with off-white seeds

  • Kleckley's Sweet - matures in 85 days, extra crisp and sweet, thin rind, red flesh with white seeds, 40 pound melons, heirloom variety

  • Big Crimson - matures in 90 days, this variety of watermelon produces 30 pound melons, sweet, red flesh, dark green skin

  • Charleston Gray - matures in 85 days, long vigorous vines, light green skin with sweet red flesh, 30 pounds