© 2026 South Carolina Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
SC Public Radio's statewide network is experiencing intermittent outages and programming issues due to ongoing infrastructure upgrades. Our team is working to keep these disruptions to a minimum and to resolve issues that do arise. Streaming on this site, the SCETV App, the NPR App, and smart speakers is unaffected.

Varieties of watermelons

Making It Grow Radio Minute
SC Public Radio
"Making It Grow," with host Amanda McNulty

Hello, I’m Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension and Making It Grow. Watermelons spread from Sudan cross the Mediterranean via trade routes, probably on ships as a safe water supply. From there to Europe and in the late 1500s in Florida via the Spaniards. In the 1950s, the wildly popular Charleston Grey was released by the Coastal Research center in Charleston. Now with new breeding techniques we have not only red flesh, but yellow, and orange, and for some people the best thing since sliced bread: seedless watermelons. I say "some people," because the seeds of watermelons are among the seven most nutritious seeds of all, I don’t know how I’ll get some to roast and eat, as it’s a rare day that the grocery store has them. I’ll be on the lookout and let you know, although its hard to believe they’d be better than roasted pecans!

Stay Connected
Amanda McNulty is a Clemson University Extension Horticulture agent and the host of South Carolina ETV’s Making It Grow! gardening program. She studied horticulture at Clemson University as a non-traditional student. “I’m so fortunate that my early attempts at getting a degree got side tracked as I’m a lot better at getting dirty in the garden than practicing diplomacy!” McNulty also studied at South Carolina State University and earned a graduate degree in teaching there.