What Are the Main Parts of a Pumpkin Plant?

Most of us look at a pumpkin plant and see a potential Halloween decoration. This fruit is more than just for scaring little kids. Pumpkins are members of the squash family. They are thought to have been first grown in North America. On average, a pumpkin weights between 7 to 18 pounds. Prize-winning pumpkins have weighed in at an excess of 1,500 pounds.

The Parts of a Pumpkin

A mature pumpkin plant has three main parts: tendrils, the stem and the shell.

Tendrils

Tendrils are long, thin, hair-like vines that grow out from the stem. Tendrils help anchor the developing pumpkin plant.

The Stem

The stem of a pumpkin is the thick, handle-like growth that attaches the pumpkin to the vine.

The Ins and Outs of a Pumpkin Shell

The pumpkin shell consists of an outer layer called the skin and an inner layer call the pulp.

The skin (also termed the rind) is the thin, orange protective outer layer of the pumpkin.

The pulp or meat of the pumpkin is the thicker inner wall of the pumpkin shell. This is the eatable part of a pumpkin. It is the pulp that is commonly baked into pies.

The Inner Pumpkin

Inside the pumpkin from the wall of the pulp grow long fibrous strands. Growing from the fibrous strands are pumpkin seeds. The seeds of the pumpkin are also eatable.

What About The Leaves?

Pumpkins are traditionally pictured with leaves growing out of their stems. If fact, the leaves are growing from the vine and not the pumpkin stem.