All about melons

Melons are a favorite of many gardeners. According to the National Garden Bureau, from which this information comes, there are over 15 types of melons available around the globe. The most popular ones here in America are the cantaloupe, muskmelon, and honeydews, but there are many more that you may wish to grow and taste test. Look for these in mail-order seed catalogs. They are there; I have seen a few of them myself.

Middle Eastern melons, or ananas, are oval-shaped with fine netting with pale green to orange skin and very sweet, fragrant white flesh. Its name means “pineapple” because of its unique pineapple-like scent. Average weight is three to four pounds. One named variety is called San Juan.

Eastern U.S. cantaloupes are yellow-orange summer melons with firm, thick orange flesh, which remains firm whether the fruit is harvested or left on the vine. Five to six pounds at maturity. A few varieties include Athena, Ambrosia, Aphrodite, and Avatar. Some old-time varieties are Hales Best Jumbo, Iroquois, and Edisto.

Canary melons, also known as Spanish or San Juan canary melons, have bright yellow skin and have oblong shapes. They are slightly larger than cantaloupes or honeydews. Inside, the flesh is creamy colored and mild. They have a strong, pleasant aroma and sweet flesh that is very good mixed into a fruit salad. An example is Tweety. 

Casaba melons are oval with a pointed end and wrinkled yellow skin. Its flesh is white and very sweet. Melons weigh four to seven pounds. Varieties include Golden Beauty, Bidwell, and the long-storing Winter Pineapple. 

Charentais melons, also known as French Charentais, are French types identified by their smooth, grayish rinds and orange flesh. They are very sweet, typically grow only to the size of a softball and are suitable for vertical growing on a trellis. One variety is Oui.

Christmas melons are also called Piel de Sapo or Rochet melons. They have a football shape and weigh five to eight pounds with yellow to green mottles rinds. Sweet flesh is pale orange to light green. Grand Prix is a Christmas melon. 

Crenshaw melons are a casaba cross with a more oblong shape and weights of about five pounds. Yellow skin, sometimes streaked with light green, and peachy orange flesh with strong, spicy aroma. Lilly is a Crenshaw variety. 

Galia melons hail from Israel. They have netted rinds much like cantaloupes but are paler in color. Flesh is green to white and sweet with a spicy or banana-like aroma. They slip from the vine when ripe. Passport is one Galia melon variety. 

Honeydews have smooth, greenish-white or yellow rinds. Flesh may be green, white, or orange. Texture is similar to cantaloupe, but the flavor more subtle. Varieties include Dulce Nectar and Earli Dew.

Oriental melons or Asian melons are very small, weighing about one pound. They are elongated with  yellow skin and pale peach to white flesh. Reportedly, because the seeds are so small and the rind so thin, the whole melon can be eaten. Two varieties are Goshiki and Sweet 100.

Persian melons, larger than cantaloupes, have dark green rinds with light brown netting. The rind turns to light green at ripening. Unlike most melons in the Reticulatus group, Persian melons do not slip from the vine when ripe. Casaba and Kharbozeh are two varieties. 

True cantaloupes are named for the town of Cantalupo near Rome, Italy and have rough, warty (not netted) skin. This one is a European cantaloupe, and is rarely grown here in America.

I’ll bet you didn’t know there were so many types of melons out there. If you’re like me, you wish you could grow some of each one!

Tim Lewis is a Georgia Green Industry Association Certified Plant Professional, gardening writer, and former Perry High School horticulture instructor. He can be reached at (478)954-1507 or timlewis1@windstream.net.