FruitWatermelon
Crimson Sweet Yellow Watermelon
Crimson Sweet Yellow Watermelon is a round, striped melon that flips the script on the classic watermelon experience by delivering bright yellow flesh instead of the traditional red. This open-pollinated heirloom variety matures in 80 to 89 days and grows as a sprawling vine, reaching 12 to 18 inches tall in hardiness zones 3 through 13. The melons develop large black seeds and exceptionally sweet, delicious flesh that delights anyone who loves yellow-fleshed watermelons. Plant it in full sun with consistent water and well-draining soil (pH 6.0 to 7.0), and you'll have a heat-tolerant, organic-certified fruit that's equally at home at a summer picnic or farmers market.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
3-13
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
High
Soil
Well-drained, Sandy Loam, Fertile
Growth Stats
18 in
Height
TypeVining
Spacing
36
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
High
Zones
3-13
Size
18in H x ?in W
Growth
—
Care
High
Hover over chart points for details
Highlights
The real draw here is the unexpected yellow flesh wrapped in a familiar Crimson Sweet striped exterior. This variety is remarkably similar in appearance to its red-fleshed sibling, but the surprise inside makes it a conversation starter in any garden. For yellow watermelon lovers, it delivers the sweetness and flavor you crave with the visual surprise that makes harvesting genuinely exciting. The large black seeds and seeded character mean you get the authentic, old-fashioned watermelon experience that many gardeners prefer over seedless varieties.
Common Uses
Crimson Sweet Yellow excels as a fresh eating melon, sliced and served chilled on hot days or showcased at summer gatherings where its golden flesh becomes the centerpiece of conversation. The seeded character makes it rewarding for eating out of hand or cutting into wedges for picnics. It's also grown by seed savers and organic gardeners who value open-pollinated varieties for their ability to reliably produce seed-true plants year after year.
Growing Timeline
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Care Instructions
Start Indoors
You can start seeds indoors 3 to 4 weeks before your last expected frost, sowing them in individual pots in warm soil (70 to 85°F). Watermelon roots resent transplanting, so start seeds in peat pots or soil blocks that you can plant directly into the ground without disturbing the roots. Keep seedlings in bright light and warm conditions until they're ready to move outside.
Transplant Outdoors
Transplant seedlings outdoors only after soil has warmed to at least 70°F and all danger of frost has passed; watermelons are extremely frost-tender and will rot in cold soil. Harden off seedlings gradually over 7 to 10 days by exposing them to outdoor conditions for increasing periods. Plant them 36 inches apart with rows 120 inches (10 feet) apart, setting them into warm, rich soil mixed with compost or well-rotted manure.
Direct Sow
Direct sow seeds outdoors 1 to 2 weeks after your last frost date, once soil temperature reaches 70°F or higher. Plant seeds in hills or rows, spacing them 36 inches apart with 120 inches between rows. Thin seedlings to one strong plant per hill once they develop their first true leaves.
Harvesting
Crimson Sweet Yellow melons mature in 80 to 89 days from planting. Harvest when the melon develops a creamy yellow spot on the bottom where it rests on the ground, the tendril closest to the stem turns brown and dry, and the melon sounds hollow when you thump it with your knuckle. The skin should be fully striped with no green remaining. Cut the melon from the vine with a sharp knife rather than twisting it off, which can damage the plant.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Citrullus lanatus
Family
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Citrullus
Growth Habit
Vining
Native Status
L48 (I)PR (I)
History & Origin
“Crimson Sweet Yellow is an organic, open-pollinated heirloom selection that preserves the genetics of the classic Crimson Sweet variety while expressing yellow flesh instead of red. The Crimson Sweet line itself became famous as a reliable, widely-adapted picnic melon, and this yellow-fleshed mutation represents gardeners' ongoing tradition of selecting and saving seeds from promising variations within established varieties. By maintaining it as an open-pollinated cultivar, seed savers have kept this heirloom accessible to home gardeners and organic growers who value the ability to save their own seed year to year.”