Did you know that orange watermelons exist? Not only that — there are different kinds of orange watermelons.
Watermelon varieties such as the tendersweet orange, the orangeglo, the orange sunshine, and the orange crisp are all sweet, juicy, and orange!
Keep reading to learn more about orange watermelons and why you’ll want to grow them in your garden.
Orange Watermelon Appearance and Taste
Orange watermelons are a lot like other watermelons in taste except for a couple of differences. Many watermelon fans staunchly claim that the orange varieties are sweeter, and denser, and have fewer seeds!
On the outside, orange watermelons look just like other watermelons. They have a light green rind with darker green stripes. But once you cut them open, there’s no mistaking them for ordinary watermelons.
Instead of the pinkish-red flesh of other watermelons, they have flesh that ranges from yellowish orange to deep, solid orange.
To explore the differences among orange watermelons a little more, here’s a little information on some popular varieties.
Tendersweet:
The tendersweet watermelon is one of the more popular varieties of orange watermelon. This melon is dense and juicy. But if you’re looking for a perfectly round variety, this isn’t it.
The oval-shaped tendersweet is long for a watermelon and can weigh a whopping 35 lbs! It’s also an heirloom variety and is dotted with seeds, allowing you to plant more tendersweet melons the following year.
Orangeglo:
The orangeglo is another popular variety of orange watermelon. It’s often described as sweet, crisp, and refreshing. In other words, it’s the perfect summer melon.
Additionally, it may even be ready to harvest up to a week earlier than varieties such as the tendersweet. When it’s fully mature, this tasty fruit has flesh the color of a ripe orange.
Orange Crisp:
The orange crisp watermelon is a seedless variety, so you won’t have to worry about removing any irritating seeds before eating or preparing it.
Beneath a thick rind, the melon is a light orange color with an exquisite flavor. In fact, some people claim that it is the sweetest, finest-tasting watermelon there is.
Orange Krush:
The inside of the orange krush watermelon has an inviting, warm, bright yellowish-orange color and a tropical, sweet flavor.
An orange krush has a mix of both light and dark-colored seeds that grow mainly in a ring shape around the center of the fruit, so it’s not difficult to avoid them.
Growing up to 20 lbs, this is considered a larger watermelon. But you still probably won’t have too much trouble getting this melon up onto the cutting board.
Orange Sunshine:
The orange sunshine is another seedless watermelon variety. It’s sweet, dense, and bright orange. It’s everything you want in an orange watermelon.
We should say that some growers have switched from this variety to the seedless orange crisp, citing that although they’re similar, the latter has a slightly superior flavor.
Nutritional Information
Macronutrients
In a two-cup serving, orange watermelons have 27 grams of carbs, 1 gram of protein, and no fat.
Micronutrients
Per serving, they also have 2 grams of fiber. Additionally, they’re a fantastic source of vitamin A and vitamin C, offering 20% and 38% respectively of your daily recommended intake.
How to Use These Melons in the Kitchen
Meal Idea
Take this delicious, sweet fruit and turn it into something deliciously savory with this neat watermelon gazpacho recipe!
Idea For Adults
Looking for a delicious adult drink to help you unwind at the end of the day? Try using orange watermelon in this simple, quick watermelon daiquiri recipe.
Idea for the Kids
Watermelons of all varieties are already kid favorites, but which kid doesn’t especially love an ice pop? Try this simple watermelon ice pop recipe with an orange watermelon – the perfect treat after a hot summer day of playing outside.
Where to Buy These Amazing Watermelons
The Melons
Orange watermelons are not as popular as their red or pink counterparts. Sadly, that means they’re harder to find.
It never hurts to check your local grocery stores, but odds are you’ll have better luck at a farmer’s market.
But there is another option – you can always grow your own melons from seeds.
The Seeds
You can check your local garden stores for orange watermelon seeds, but if they don’t have them, fret not. The internet makes seed-buying easy!
One amazing online retailer where you can get watermelon seeds is Hoss Tools. They have orange watermelon seeds available in the tendersweet orange and orangeglo cultivars. But you can always check their Watermelon Seeds page to see if more orange varieties of watermelon are added.
Raising Orange Watermelons
All watermelons require similar growing practices. You don’t need to worry about orange watermelon-specific growing practices.
If you’re interested in growing your own watermelons, we have various articles to assist you no matter which type you’d like to raise.
For starters, take a look at our guide on How to Grow Watermelon. If you’d like more detailed information on how to plant these sweet, juicy melons, read our article on How to Plant Watermelons.
Disease and Pest Control Recommendations
When growing your watermelons, it’s smart to guard against diseases and pests.
To protect your precious orange watermelons, try a copper fungicide. For something a little more organic, try neem oil.
When to Harvest:
To know when watermelons are ready to harvest, look at the tendril connecting the melon to the plant. If it’s green, the melon’s not quite ready. If the tendril looks brown and dried up, that’s a good indicator that it’s time to pick your watermelon.
We provide additional tips in our post on How to Harvest Watermelon and a related, in-depth post on how to tell When a Watermelon is Ripe.
Enjoy Sweet, Juicy Orange Watermelons
So if you thought red, or the occasional yellow, watermelons were the only game in town, isn’t it nice to know you have other color options? Make finding an orange variety of watermelon an item on your food bucket list!
We’re watermelon enthusiasts at Minneopa Orchards. For more articles like this one check out our Watermelon Plants page, where you’ll find more watermelon blog posts and guides (and learn there’s another color of watermelon besides the ones mentioned in this post).