Large and round, pumpkins range in size from less than a pound (0.5kg) to more than 100 pounds (50kg). While a deep, cheerful orange is the colour most familiar to Americans, pumpkins also come in a variety of colours that range from white and peach to green and blue.

The many varieties of pumpkins are categorized into various classes including: Standard Orange (Small), Standard Orange (Intermediate), Standard Orange (Large), Jumbo, White Painting, the Cushaw Group, and the Naked-Seeded and Miniature kinds. The Small Sugar or New England Pie type is of the Standard Orange (Small) variety, and, as its name suggests, this is the standard type for pies; it weighs between 2 and 5 pounds (1kg–2.5kg).