Yellow Pumpkins Are Here to Brighten Up Your Fall Decor

The closer we get to Halloween, the more we see orange pumpkins and creatively carved jack-o'-lanterns wherever we look. We've seen some beautiful white, blue, and even some textured pumpkins adding a little variety to fall displays over the last number of years, but this year we couldn't help but notice a bright yellow pumpkin stealing the spotlight. Yellow pumpkins have been around for a few years already, but until recently, they have not been easy to come by. Now we are seeing them popping up in patches and grocery stores more frequently, which is good news for those looking for something a little different to add to their autumn decor. These gorgeous pumpkins will shine when displayed all on their own, but we especially love mixing them in with classic orange pumpkins and matching them to our containers of fall mums.

Rachel Haugo

The most popular variety of yellow pumpkins is aptly called 'Sunlight'. It was discovered a few years ago by Brent Loy, a plant geneticist in New Hampshire who has spent decades breeding more than 60 new varieties of pumpkins, squash, melons, and gourds. Interestingly, 'Sunlight', along with another yellow variety called 'Owl's Eye', was an unintended result from trying to breed white pumpkins. Instead of scrapping them, Loy decided to see if people would be interested in these more brightly colored varieties. We'd like to go on the record with a resounding yes!

'Sunlight' has such a clear yellow hue that it almost appears to glow, especially when paired with darker colored mums. And it's not too big and not too small, typically growing up to eight pounds, so it's easy to tote around until you find just the right spot to show it off best. If you'd like something a little larger for carving, 'Mellow Yellow' is another newer variety of yellow-skinned pumpkin that weighs around 20 pounds.

So keep your eyes peeled for flashes of yellow among all the orange at your favorite pumpkin patch or local grocery store this fall. We scored a few, along with some orange and white ones, for a fun, candy corn-inspired display. They also look stunning with other colors of pumpkins such as pale pink and blue varieties.

If you can't find these pumpkins near you, you can try growing them yourself. Several seed catalogs offer 'Sunlight' seeds for sale, as well as other varieties like Mellow Yellow. Because the planting season for pumpkins is spring, you'll have a whole year to plan your next Halloween and fall display. There's no doubt that you'll have the most unique pumpkin display on the block with these yellow fellows.