A big trend nowadays in the gardening world is growing a plant that has more than one purpose.

An example of something that has one purpose would be your typical head of green cabbage. You harvest it and eat it. That’s about it. Something with a dual purpose might be a pretty ruffled leaf lettuce that you can mix into a container with some annuals—because it’s pretty—then harvest to eat.

I put the Pepitas pumpkin, one of the newest All-America Selections Award Winners for 2016, into the dual-purpose category. First, it’s decorative. It’s lightly streaked with yellows, oranges, and greens. While I wouldn’t call it a carving pumpkin, it’s definitely one that you’d put on your front stoop as part of an autumnal display. And who knows? Maybe a skilled carver could work it into some whittled wonder.

The second use is, of course, culinary. I’d even break this category into two. You can roast, bake, or boil the pale-yellow flesh for soups, pies, casseroles, and such as you would normally do for a pumpkin. The second way to edibly enjoy Pepitas is to eat its hulless seeds. Because they have no hulls, you can eat this variety’s seeds much easier (and with less work!) after slowly roasting them.

And if you do roast, add a dash of paprika.

Growing Pepitas Pumpkins

Like most pumpkins, Pepitas is a vining plant that requires plenty of space to grow and warm weather. You may even find staking the plant to be helpful. Also, it’s not a fan of transplanting, so instead find yourself some seeds, sow them directly into the ground about 3 to 4 ft. apart, and watch them take off. Count on getting about 4 or 5 good-sized (9-12 lb.) fruits

And as a bonus, Pepitas is tolerant or powdery mildew and resistance to Southern root rot. With dual uses and the promise of disease tolerance, it’d be a shame not to give Pepitas a try.

For more information on this new 2016 AAS Award Winner and other winners, visit www.all-americaselections.org.