Why are pumpkins different sizes and shapes?
Pumpkins grow in many different shapes for a variety of reasons. Weather is one factor, since pumpkins were originally grown in northern climates those are the ones we recognize as “traditional.” As pumpkins moved with the settlers to different climates throughout the United States, different species had to be developed depending on the climate. Humans have had the most impact as we save and plant seeds from only the heartiest, or the smallest, or the sweetest pumpkins, depending on what kind of pumpkin they were looking for.
