Cinderella Rouge Pumpkin

Cucurbita maxima (cucurbit)

Also known as: Rouge Vif d'Etampes, Cinderella Pumpkin, Rouge d'Etampes


The classic French fairytale pumpkin — flattened and deeply ribbed with a slightly dished top, wrapped in the most brilliant scarlet-orange rind of any pumpkin. Cultivated in France for well over a hundred years around the town of Etampes, its shape was famously the inspiration for Cinderella's carriage in fairytale illustrations, giving it its English nickname. Beyond the looks it's a genuinely fine cooking pumpkin: dense, sweet, deep-orange flesh that shines in pies, roasts, soups, and gnocchi. Vigorous vines run 3-4 metres. A showstopper at the market — customers buy for the look and come back for the flavour.

Days to harvest 95-110 days
Fruit size 30-38cm across, 12-15cm high, 4-9kg — flattened and deeply ribbed with a slightly dished top
Sowing depth 20-25mm
Germination 5-10 days at 21-35°C
Spacing 90cm apart in rows 180cm apart (vines sprawl 3-4m)
Aspect Full sun, fertile moisture-retentive soil
Frost tolerance Frost tender — grown as an annual; sow only after all frost risk has passed

Growing notes

Choose a sunny spot with plenty of room — vines will run 3-4 metres. Plant on a small mound of enriched soil to give roots warmth and drainage. Watch for powdery mildew in humid weather — good spacing and morning-only watering help.

Soil preparation: A hungry feeder. Dig in generous compost and well-rotted manure before planting, side-dress again at the 4-5 leaf stage, and keep watering consistent — big fruit needs steady moisture. Aim for pH 6.0-6.8.

Support: Ground-grown only — fruit gets too heavy for trellises. Slip a tile, board, or thick straw pad under each developing pumpkin to keep it off wet soil and prevent rot.

Harvest & cure: Cut fruit with 5cm of stem still attached once the rind turns fully scarlet-orange and resists a thumbnail. Cure in a warm, dry, airy spot for 10-14 days to harden the skin, then store somewhere cool (10-15°C) and dry. Properly cured fruit keeps 3-4 months (shorter than butternut but still respectable).

Key features

  • Iconic French heirloom — the original "Cinderella" pumpkin
  • Brilliant scarlet-orange, deeply ribbed rind
  • Sweet, dense flesh — excellent for pies, roasting, and soups
  • Fruit typically 4-9kg (up to 11kg on happy vines) Stores 3-4 months cured
  • Open-pollinated heirloom (cultivated in France since the 1800s)

Short season tips

Choose a sunny spot with plenty of room — vines will run 3-4 metres. Plant on a small mound of enriched soil to give roots warmth and drainage. Watch for powdery mildew in humid weather — good spacing and morning-only watering help.

Soil preparation: A hungry feeder. Dig in generous compost and well-rotted manure before planting, side-dress again at the 4-5 leaf stage, and keep watering consistent — big fruit needs steady moisture. Aim for pH 6.0-6.8.

Support: Ground-grown only — fruit gets too heavy for trellises. Slip a tile, board, or thick straw pad under each developing pumpkin to keep it off wet soil and prevent rot.

Harvest & cure: Cut fruit with 5cm of stem still attached once the rind turns fully scarlet-orange and resists a thumbnail. Cure in a warm, dry, airy spot for 10-14 days to harden the skin, then store somewhere cool (10-15°C) and dry. Properly cured fruit keeps 3-4 months (shorter than butternut but still respectable).

  • Spring
  • Summer

Annual

  • Corn (classic "three sisters" trio) • Climbing beans (fix nitrogen, share the space vertically) • Nasturtium (trap crop for aphids and squash bugs) • Marigold (repels beetles and nematodes) • Borage (attracts pollinators, critical for fruit set) • Radish (trap crop for cucumber beetles) • Oregano (repels pests, ground cover)
  • Potatoes (heavy feeders, compete for the same nutrients) • Brassicas (cabbage, broccoli — compete heavily and attract different pests) • Other Cucurbita maxima varieties if seed saving (cross-pollination — will cross with Blue Banana, Queensland Blue, Jarrahdale, and Hubbard types) • Fennel (inhibits most vegetable growth) • Don't repeat in the same bed each season — rotate to break the squash bug and vine borer cycle


A true French heirloom named for the town of Etampes, south of Paris, where it has been grown for well over a hundred years. The French name Rouge Vif d'Etampes translates to "vivid red of Etampes." Introduced to the United States by the Burpee Seed Company in 1883, it fell out of commercial fashion for much of the 20th century before its dramatic looks brought it back to popularity. The English nickname "Cinderella" comes from illustrators using its distinctive flattened, deeply ribbed shape as inspiration for the fairy godmother's magical carriage.