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KEITH FROM THE CARIBBEAN ASKS: I hope you can help out. I live in the Caribbean and I only started growing watermelon this year and got my seeds mixed up, between watermelon and pumpkin. Now I’ve attached a photo of a plant that I’m confused about (copied below). I don’t know if it is watermelon or pumpkin. Can you help with identification? I have North Carolina Giant White Pumpkin trying to grow down here but I have no idea which plant it might be.

Thanks, Keith

Good question, Keith. These two plants are often confused, at least until they start growing a pumpkin or a watermelon. The plant in your photo is a pumpkin plant.

There are a few easy ways to determine this. First, watermelon plants are a vine plant, therefore they grow outwards, not upwards. A pumpkin plant, however, grows more upwards and has bigger leaves (it looks more like a bush).

Speaking of leaves, a pumpkin plant’s leaves will be shaped like a spade on a deck of cards (like the ones in your photo). The leaves on your pumpkin plant are rounder with relatively smooth edges, but some pumpkin leaves might not be as round and can be shaped like a large maple leaf, only with smoother edges. Though it can vary based on the type, most watermelon leaves have a more irregular shape and aren’t as round as pumpkin leaves. Watermelon leaves sort of look like oak leaves without the pointy tips.

Confusion often sets in during the younger stages of each plant, because the leaves can sometimes take a little while to mature and take shape (again, depending on the type of each plant). But the plant in your photo is advanced enough that I can tell it’s definitely your North Carolina Giant White Pumpkin. Good luck with it!

Best, Josh

ABOUT JOSH: Josh Bailey comes from a family farming background, and he started his own operation called Premier Melon Company in January 2004. Previously, he worked for his uncle’s company for 10 years, gaining experience in watermelon growing and handling. Josh lives in Schoolcraft, MI, and is a past president of the National Watermelon Promotion Board