Pumpkin Yam is an heirloom sweet potato with genuine American roots, first documented in 1868 and nearly lost to time before seed savers brought it back into cultivation. The plants produce golden-red skinned tubers with moist, bright orange flesh that delivers old-fashioned sweet potato flavor in every bite. Growing on short, bush-like vines that cluster their roots for easy harvesting, this variety thrives in warm conditions (75-85°F) across zones 7-11 and reaches harvest in 90-120 days. It's the kind of variety that reminds us why our grandparents' gardens produced such remarkable food.
12
Full Sun
Moderate
7-11
?in H x ?in W
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Moderate
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Golden-red skin wrapped around bright orange, moist flesh tells you immediately this is a potato worth digging for. The short, compact vine growth habit sets it apart from sprawling sweet potato varieties, clustering its roots for surprisingly straightforward harvesting even in small gardens. After nearly disappearing from American cultivation in the modern era, this heirloom represents a genuine restoration of culinary heritage, bringing authentic vintage sweet potato flavor back to home gardeners who thought it was gone forever.
Sweet potatoes from Pumpkin Yam excel in traditional preparations: baked whole until the skin softens and the flesh turns creamy, candied as a holiday side dish, roasted into wedges, or pureed into pies and soups. The moist, flavorful flesh works particularly well in dishes that benefit from its natural sweetness and bright color, from savory grain bowls to classic Southern comfort food preparations.
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Transplant Pumpkin Yam outdoors once soil has warmed to at least 70°F in late spring, spacing plants 12 inches apart. Harden off transplants gradually to prevent transplant shock, and choose a location with full sun exposure.
Harvest Pumpkin Yam between 90-120 days after planting, when the vines have matured and the tubers have reached good size. Dig carefully around each plant to avoid damaging the clustered tubers, which grow close together due to the variety's short vine habit. The golden-red skin and firm texture indicate readiness for harvest. Work gently through the soil to extract the complete root clusters that this variety produces.
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“Pumpkin Yam carries the weight of genuine American agricultural history. First documented in 1868, this variety thrived for roughly 75 years as a staple in American gardens and kitchens. By the modern era, it had vanished almost completely from seed catalogs and commercial cultivation, relegated to forgotten status in old farming records. Seed companies like Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds undertook dedicated restoration work to bring this lost variety back into circulation, rescuing it from the edge of extinction and returning it to contemporary American tables. Its revival represents the broader heirloom seed movement's mission to preserve food varieties that shaped regional food culture.”