You’re standing in the produce aisle, staring at a giant bin of green globes. You probably think there are maybe three types of watermelons—the ones with seeds, the ones without, and those cute little "personal" ones that fit in your fridge. Honestly, that’s like saying there are only three types of dogs because you’ve only seen a Lab, a Poodle, and a Pug.
When people ask how many kinds of watermelons are there, the answer usually blows their minds.
There are over 1,200 varieties grown worldwide.
Twelve hundred. That is a massive amount of genetic diversity for a fruit that is basically 92% water. We’re talking about everything from the massive "Carolina Cross" that can weigh as much as a grown man to the tiny, citrusy "Moon and Stars" that looks like a midnight sky. Most of us are living in a limited watermelon reality because commercial farming prioritizes shelf life and transportability over flavor or weirdness. But if you dig into heirloom catalogs or hit up a high-end farmer's market in July, you’ll realize the red-fleshed sphere is just the tip of the iceberg.
The Big Four: Breaking Down the Main Categories
Before we get into the weird stuff, we have to talk about the categories that commercial growers use. Botanically, we’re looking at Citrullus lanatus. While there are over a thousand named cultivars, they generally fall into four buckets.
First, you’ve got the Seeded Watermelons. These are the classics. They’re often called "Picnic" watermelons because they’re huge—usually 15 to 45 pounds. They have those big, annoying black seeds that are actually great for spitting contests. People swear the seeded ones taste better. Is that true? Maybe. Some heirloom enthusiasts argue that the energy the plant puts into seed production also creates a more complex sugar profile.
Then there are the Seedless Watermelons. These are actually hybrids. They aren't GMOs in the way people usually mean; they're more like the mules of the fruit world. Breeders cross a male pollen cell with 22 chromosomes with a female flower with 44 chromosomes. The result is a "triploid" plant with 33 chromosomes. It’s sterile. It can’t make seeds. It just grows flesh.
Third is the Icebox Watermelon. These were bred for small families and small fridges. They usually weigh between 5 and 15 pounds. The "Sugar Baby" is the king here. It’s dark green, almost black, and incredibly sweet.
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Lastly, we have Yellow and Orange Flesh Watermelons. These lack lycopene, the stuff that makes watermelons red. Instead, they’re packed with beta-carotene. They often taste a bit more like honey or apricot than the traditional "red" flavor.
Beyond the Red Flesh: The Rainbow of Heirloom Varieties
If you really want to know how many kinds of watermelons are there in terms of actual variety, you have to look at the heirlooms.
Take the Moon and Stars variety. This was actually thought to be extinct for a long time until someone found it growing in a garden in Missouri in the 1980s. It has a deep purple-green rind covered in tiny yellow "stars" and usually one or two large yellow "moons." It's gorgeous. It’s also huge, often reaching 40 pounds.
Then there is the Cream of Saskatchewan.
Yeah, white watermelon.
It’s an heirloom brought over by Russian immigrants to Canada. The flesh is snowy white, and it has a high sugar content with a creamy texture that feels totally different from the crisp crunch of a standard red melon.
Or consider the Black Diamond. This is the quintessential "old school" melon. It has a rind so dark it looks black, and the flesh is a deep, vibrant red. It’s tough. You can drop a Black Diamond and it might not even crack. That’s why it was so popular for shipping back in the day before we started breeding everything to be "Personal Sized."
Why Texture Matters More Than You Think
We focus a lot on color, but the texture varies wildly across these 1,200 types. Some watermelons are "mealy" (which most people hate), while others are "dense" or "crisp."
The Georgia Rattlesnake—named for its jagged green stripes that look like a snake’s skin—is known for being incredibly crisp. It’s an old variety dating back to the 1830s. If you bite into a well-grown Rattlesnake, it practically shatters in your mouth. Compare that to some of the modern seedless varieties which can sometimes feel a bit "spongy" because they’ve been sitting in a shipping container for two weeks.
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The Science of Sweetness: Brix Levels and Growing Conditions
When we talk about "kinds" of watermelons, we’re also talking about sugar. In the fruit world, we measure sugar using the Brix scale.
A standard grocery store melon might have a Brix rating of 9 or 10.
A truly elite heirloom like the Bradford can hit 12 or 13.
The Bradford is a legendary melon from South Carolina. It was once the most famous watermelon in the South, but it almost disappeared because its rind was too thin to ship. It would literally burst if you stacked too many on top of each other. But the flavor? People in the 1800s wrote poems about it. It’s so sweet you can boil the juice down into a syrup.
Actually, the Bradford family is still growing them today in Sumter, SC. They’ve kept the seeds in the family for generations. It’s a prime example of how "marketability" almost killed off the "best" kind of watermelon.
Small But Mighty: The Rise of the Miniatures
Lately, the answer to how many kinds of watermelons are there has been expanding in the direction of "mini" fruits.
The Little Baby Flower is a popular one. It’s a pink-fleshed melon that’s about the size of a grapefruit. Then you have the Bush Sugar Baby, which is perfect for people who want to grow melons in a pot on their balcony. Watermelons are notorious for taking up space—vines can easily run 20 feet—but these bush varieties stay contained.
And we can’t talk about variety without mentioning the Square Watermelon.
Wait.
These aren’t actually a different kind of watermelon. They’re usually just "Zenta" or other standard varieties that Japanese farmers grow inside tempered glass cubes. It’s a gimmick, sure, but it shows how much we’ve fetishized the form of this fruit. They can cost over $100 each. They don’t even taste that good because they’re often harvested before they’re fully ripe so they maintain their shape.
Why You Only See a Few Kinds
It’s about the "Rind Factor."
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If you’re a commercial farmer, you need a melon that can survive being tossed into a bin, loaded onto a truck, driven 500 miles, and then sat in a refrigerated display. That requires a thick, tough rind.
Unfortunately, there is often an inverse relationship between rind thickness and flavor quality. Many of the 1,200 varieties have delicate skins. If you grow a Mountain Hoosier or a Sweet Siberian, you’re getting incredible flavor, but you have to handle them like eggs. That doesn't work for Walmart.
So, while there are over a thousand types, the global supply chain has narrowed our experience down to about five or six "commercial types."
A Quick Look at Global Varieties
Watermelon originated in Africa—specifically the Kalahari Desert region—but it has evolved differently all over the world.
- Japan: Home to the Densuke watermelon. It’s a black, seedless melon grown only on the northern island of Hokkaido. Only a few thousand are produced each year. They are often auctioned for thousands of dollars.
- Russia/Ukraine: These regions love smaller, round melons with high cold tolerance. The Volga types are legendary for their ability to thrive in shorter summers.
- Middle East: Often prefers the Charleston Gray style—long, oblong, light green melons that handle high heat exceptionally well.
How to Find These Elusive Melons
If you’re tired of the same old watery red wedges, you have to be intentional. You won’t find a Gold in Gold (a yellow-skinned, orange-fleshed hybrid) at a gas station.
- Check Seed Catalogs: Even if you don't garden, look at places like Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. They list dozens of varieties with photos that will make you realize how boring grocery store fruit is.
- Farmer’s Markets in August: This is the peak. Ask the farmer specifically, "What variety is this?" If they say "It's just watermelon," move to the next stall. You want the person who says, "This is an Ali Baba from Iraq."
- Ethnic Grocery Stores: Sometimes you’ll find different cultivars in Middle Eastern or Asian markets that cater to different flavor profiles, like the "Japanese Cream" melons.
Final Insights on Watermelon Variety
So, how many kinds of watermelons are there? Over 1,200, but you’ll probably only ever see five unless you go looking.
The diversity is staggering. You have melons that taste like honey, melons with white flesh, melons that weigh 200 pounds, and melons that fit in your palm. We've traded this variety for the convenience of seedless, transportable fruit. But the heirlooms are still out there, hiding in the gardens of enthusiasts and on the tables of small-scale farmers.
Next time you want a watermelon, don't just grab the first one you see. Look for the stripes, the spots, or the weird shapes. Check the "belly spot"—it should be buttery yellow, not white. If you find a "Moon and Stars" or a "Sugar Baby," grab it. Your taste buds will thank you for breaking out of the grocery store monoculture.
To truly experience what this fruit can do, seek out a local grower this summer and ask for an heirloom variety. It’s the only way to move past the generic red water and actually taste the history of the fruit. Only then will you understand why people have been obsessed with breeding these things for four thousand years.