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Watermelons range in shape from round to oblong. Rind colours can be light to dark green with or without stripes. Flesh colours can be dark red, red or yellow.
Watermelon varieties fall into three broad classes based on how the seed was developed: open-pollinated, F1 hybrid and triploid (seedless).
Open-pollinated varieties are developed through several generations of selection. The selection can be based upon yield, quality characteristics and disease resistance. Open-pollinated varieties have true-to-type seed (seed saved from one generation to the next will maintain the same characteristics) and are less expensive then F1 hybrid varieties.
F1 hybrids are developed from two inbred lines that have been self-pollinated for several generations and then crossed, with the subsequent seed sold to growers. F1 hybrid seed will exhibit increased uniformity of type and time of harvest compared with open-pollinated seed and can exhibit as much as a 20% to 40% increase in yields over open-pollinated varieties grown under similar conditions. The disadvantages of F1 hybrid seed are cost and availability. F1 hybrid seed will be as much as 5 to 10 times as costly as open-pollinated seed, and available F1 hybrid varieties will change from year to year.
The third type is triploid or seedless watermelon. These are developed by creating watermelon plants with double the usual chromosome number and crossing them with normal watermelon plants. The resulting plants have 1½ times the normal chromosome number. Because they have an odd number of chromosomes, they cannot form viable seed. In addition, they produce very little pollen; therefore, normal watermelon must be planted with triploid watermelon as a source of pollen. Although triploid watermelons are referred to as seedless, they are not truly seedless but rather have undeveloped seeds that are soft and edible. Triploid seeds will be even more expensive than F1 hybrid seeds, and the melons should command a premium in the marketplace. |
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The following is a list of watermelon varieties and their characteristics as provided by seed suppliers. Careful selection of reliable and outstanding varieties is the key to success in the market place.
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Table 1: List of F1 hybrid , Seeded watermelon varieties
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Varieties /cultivars |
Characteristics |
New Dragon |
Fruit is oblong and quite uniform, medium to fairly large and weight about 9 kg. Flesh red, finely textured, very sweet with dark brown seeds. Rind has sharp contrasting light and dark green stripes, durable and suitable for shipping |
Dark Belle or Hitam manis |
Vigorous, elongated dark green fruit with indistinct dark stripes. Rind is thin but tough making it a good shipper. The deep red flesh is tender and succulent; sugar content is around 12-14%. Weight between 2.5 – 3.5 kg. Matures 102 days from sowing |
Little Boy |
Small type or icebox watermelon with excellent flavour. Fruit is short oblong with indistinct dark green stripes on the dark green skin. Rind is thin but tough against shipping and the fruit weight about 3 – 4kg. Flesh is deep red, juicy and tender has sugar content of 12%. Matures 102 days from sowing |
China Dragon |
Sister variety of New Dragon. Leaves are small with very deep serration and medium frilling which provide fairly good coverage. Productive and sets fruit well. Matures fairly early about 80 days after planting (95 days from sowing). Slightly oblong shaped. Has distinctly striped rind. Weighing about 12 kg. Flesh is red, firm and very sweet. Seeds are small and black |
Early Klondike |
Has a better flesh quality and sweetness. Also suitable for long distance shipping. Weighing about 12 kg, oblong shape with black–green rind. Flesh is dark red. Matures 97 days from sowing |
Red Delicious |
Fruit is small and oblong about 2 kg. Has light green, uniform and attractive appearance. Flesh is bright red, tender juicy and very sweet with brown seeds. Oblong shaped fruit with rind is thin but tough. Matures 90 days from sowing |
Golden Crown |
Fruit is uniform, oblong, icebox size, weight about 2.5 kg with brilliant red flesh. Sweetness approximately 12% of sugar content. Very thin but tough rind allows good shipping |
Funbell |
Icebox watermelon widely adapted to various types of soil. Pink red flesh, sweet and juicy. Fruit is round and weight about 2 kg. Easy to recognise fruit maturity as the color of stripes changes from green to yellow. Fruit matures 80 days from sowing. Rind is yellow with light stripes. Seed medium black brown |
New Orchid |
Vigorous and prolific. Fruit is oblong. Weight about 3–4 kg. Rind is green with dark green stripes. Flesh is orange yellow, fine texture with sugar content 12%. Good shipper |
Full Orchid |
Vigorous and prolific. Weight about 3 – 5 kg. Sugar content 12%. Tough rind with distinct bright stripes. A medium early, yellow flesh variety. Fruit is uniform and seldom cracks even under high temperature cultivation |
Yellow Baby |
Early productive, sweet flavoured, has fewer seeds than other icebox watermelons. Flesh colour pineapple yellow. Fruit round 15 diameter with 4 kg weight. Rind is light green with dark green stripes, thin but tough |
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Table 2: List of Triploid, Seedless watermelon varieties
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Varieties/cultivars |
Characteristics |
Favorite Ball |
Medium early fruit maturity at 95 days after sowing. Vigorous growth. Deep-globe shaped fruit. Green rind with broad dark green stripes, weight about 6 –12 kg and durable. Flesh is red with good taste and stores well |
All Lucky No 2 |
Medium early fruit maturity at 95 days after sowing. Deep-globe shaped, weighing about 7 – 8kg. Rind is light green with dark green stripes. Sugar content about 12%. Flesh is bright red, juicy and tasty seldom prone to hollow heart |
Prosperity |
Mature 95 days after sowing. Deep-globe round fruit with dark green rind weight about 6 kg. Thin rind with good shipping quality. Flesh uniformly bright red and less prone to hollow heart. Very juicy with 12-15% sugar content. Excellent quality |
Quality |
Rind is blue green with dark green stripes and durable. Flesh is tender, juicy with much better taste. Good for shipping and storage. Weighing about 7.5 kg. Vigorous and productive. Mature 97 days after sowing |
Mindful ( triploid ) |
Vigorous and has better fruit set. Fruit is round, uniform in shape and weighs about 5 – 7 kg. Beautiful bluish green rind with narrow dark green stripes. Bright red flesh with sugar content 12%. Flesh is firm with good taste and less prone to hollow heart. Good for shipping and storage. Mature |
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| Names |
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Citrullus lanatus
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Common: |
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English: |
Watermelon |
Indonesia: |
Semangka |
Malaysia: |
Tembikai; Semangka |
Tagalog (Philippines): |
Pakwan |
Thai: |
Taeng mo |
| Tamil: |
Kumati palam |
Mandarin: |
Xigua |
Vietnam: |
Döa haáu |
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Taxonomic Position: |
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Domain: |
Eukaryota |
Kingdom: |
Viridiplantae |
Phylum: |
Spermatophyta |
| Subphylum: |
Angiospermae |
Class: |
Dicotyledonae |
Order: |
Violales |
Family: |
Cucurbitaceae |
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| Other Names Used: |
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| Citrullus vulgaris |
| Colocynthis citrullus |
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