It is not only possible to differentiate between different melons such as watermelons and honeydew melons. Watermelons that always seem to be the same come in many different varieties.

The origin of watermelons

In its wild form, the watermelon actually comes from Africa and is botanically referred to as Citrullus lanatus. Today, however, the plant is planted in warm regions worldwide and now comes in over 150 subspecies. The wild form of the watermelon is usually referred to as the Tsamma melon and is still cultivated in parts of Central Africa. The most important growing areas for the agricultural cultivation of watermelons today are:

  • China
  • Turkey
  • Iran
  • Egypt
  • USA
  • Mexico

Due to the high transport weight and relatively low selling price, specimens sold in Central Europe between May and September usually come from countries such as Spain, Hungary and Turkey.

The Sugar Baby variety

Of the few varieties of watermelon cultivated worldwide, there are usually only two commercially available. One of them is the smaller Sugar Baby, whose fruits usually have a maximum weight of around three to five kilograms. They are approximately round in color and surrounded by a dark green colored shell. The flesh of the Sugar Baby is dark red when fully ripe and has an aromatic, sweet taste. The Sugar Baby is very popular with consumers, not least because of its smaller size, since these melons can be used up relatively quickly when eaten fresh, which means there are no storage problems.

The watermelon variety Crimson Sweet

The second important watermelon variety on the world market is the so-called Crimson Sweet. As its name suggests, this also has a pleasantly sweet aroma, but produces significantly larger fruits than the Sugar Baby. Fruits of the Crimson Sweet variety often weigh between 8 and 15 kilograms and take on the rounded shape of a cylinder. The flesh is red to burgundy in color, while the skin has a pattern of dark green and light green stripes.

tips and tricks

Of the common types of watermelon, the Sugar Baby is the more common variety in this country, as its rather small fruits can more easily reach maturity before autumn.

Category:

Vegetable garden