With so many different varieties of cucumber (Cucumis sativus) available, it can be hard to know which one to pick.
Cucumbers are members of the Cucurbitaceae family, and are usually divided into two groups: slicing and pickling.
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Slicing varieties can grow up to 12 inches long, and are best enjoyed fresh, on sandwiches or salads. Pickling types are typically much shorter, up to six inches long.
“Burpless” types are usually thin-skinned, seedless, and do not contain cucurbitacin, the compound responsible for bitter flavor.
In this guide, we take a look at some of the best cucumber varieties to grow in your summer vegetable garden.
Here’s the lineup:
33 of the Best Cucumber Varieties
Slicing
Slicing varieties are grown predominantly for fresh eating. They are normally smooth skinned, with tender flesh.
1. Ashley
This heirloom cultivar is a prolific producer of dark green, six to eight-inch fruits, with a slight taper on the stem end.
A vining variety, ‘Ashley’ was bred at the South Carolina Truck Experimental Station in Charleston in 1956 for the southern fresh produce market. It is a cross between ‘Puerto Rico 40’ and ‘Marketer.’
Fruits are ready to harvest in 65 days, and as this cultivar is resistant to downy mildew, it’s a good option for growers in hot, humid conditions.
Find seeds in a variety of packet sizes available at Eden Brothers.
2. Burpless #26
This hybrid vining variety produces thin fruits up to 12 inches long, but they are usually best picked at eight to 10 inches.
With thin, dark green skin and mild flesh with no hint of bitterness, this variety is resistant to downy mildew and mosaic virus.
Long vines will require staking or trellising. Ready to harvest in 50 days, regular picking will encourage the vines to produce more fruit.
You can find seeds available from Seed Survivor via Amazon.
3. Bush Champion
‘Bush Champion’ is a prolific producer of eight to 11-inch fruit on compact plants. This hybrid bush type delivers straight, crisp, bright green cucumbers in just 60 days.
Ideal for container growing or raised bed gardening, this Burpee exclusive is resistant to mosaic virus.
Find packets of 60 or 150 seeds available at Burpee.
4. Dasher II
‘Dasher II’ is a dark green hybrid cultivar with excellent disease resistance. Vigorous vines produce slim, eight-inch, white-spined fruit in 55 to 60 days.
Best grown on a fence or trellis for easy harvest, straight, uniform fruits have high resistance to scab and moderate resistance to mosaic virus, leaf spot, and powdery mildew.
You can find packets of 500 and 1,000 seeds available from Walmart.
5. Diva
A winner of the All-America Selections award in 2002, ‘Diva’ is a hybrid cultivar that produces semi-glossy, thin-skinned fruits of six to eight inches long.
‘Diva’ is a mostly seedless variety with a sweet, mild flavor. High yields on vigorous vines are ready to harvest in 58 days.
This cultivar is resistant to scab, and tolerant of downy and powdery mildew.
You can find seeds in a variety of packet sizes available at True Leaf Market.
6. Early Pride
‘Early Pride’ is a hybrid cultivar that bears dark green, straight fruits of eight to nine inches long.
Bred by Burpee, plants are resistant to powdery mildew and mosaic virus. Vines grow vigorously up a trellis or frame and produce an abundant harvest.
With a mild flavor, these burpless cucumbers are ready to pick in 55 days.
You can find packets of 30 seeds available at Burpee.
7. Fanfare
‘Fanfare’ is a hybrid cultivar producing slim, eight to nine-inch uniform fruits with excellent texture and flavor.
Short, two- to two-and-a-half-feet semi-determinate vines produce high yields in just 63 days. Ideal for container growing on the patio, this All-America Selections winner (1994) has deep green skin and sweet flesh.
You can find seeds available from Pase Seeds via Amazon.
8. Long Green Improved
‘Long Green Improved’ is a prolific heirloom cultivar with straight, 10- to 12-inch fruits with dark green skin.
Originally introduced in 1842, this cultivar was bred from an even older variety, ‘Long Green Turkey,’ dating back to as early as 1778.
Vigorous, robust vines will require staking for straight, uniform fruits that mature in 65 days. This variety is well-suited to both slicing and pickling.
You can find seeds in a variety of packet sizes available at Eden Brothers.
9. Marketer
‘Marketer’ is an open-pollinated variety with a sweet, mild flavor. A winner of the All-America Selections award in the edibles category in 1943, it’s ideal for hot, humid Southern climates.
Dark green, smooth, slender fruits grow eight to nine inches long on vigorous vines and are ready to pick after 55 days.
‘Marketer’ was bred by Associated Seed Growers in Connecticut, and is a cross between ‘Straight Eight’ and ‘Vaughan.’ It was first introduced in 1942.
You can find seeds in a variety of packet sizes available at Eden Brothers.
10. Marketmore 76
‘Marketmore 76’ is a popular heirloom cultivar with impressive disease resistance. Dark green, slender, thick-skinned fruits measure eight to nine inches long, and mature in 67 days.
The original ‘Marketmore’ variety was developed by Dr. Henry Munger at Cornell University in 1968, and in 1976 he released ‘Marketmore 76,’ a vigorous, open-pollinated strain.
With a crisp crunch and sweet flavor, this variety has a small seed cavity and lends itself to both slicing and pickling.
Resistant to powdery and downy mildew, leaf spot, mosaic virus, and scab, this is a reliable producer in warmer climates.
You can find seeds in a variety of packet sizes available at Eden Brothers.
11. Muncher
‘Muncher’ is an open-pollinated cultivar producing medium-sized fruit up to nine inches long. Ideal for slicing, immature fruit can be picked at four to five inches for pickling.
Vigorous vines produce heavy yields of light green, smooth, burpless cucumbers that are mild and sweet, ready to pick in 65 days.
You can find seeds in a variety of packet sizes available at True Leaf Market.
12. Poinsett 76
‘Poinsett 76’ was developed by Dr. Henry Munger of Cornell University in 1976. Eight-inch fruits are tender, with crisp, white flesh and dark green skin.
This hybrid cultivar is resistant to leaf spot, powdery and downy mildew, and anthracnose.
Strong, vigorous vines produce an abundance of burpless, mild cucumbers ideal for slicing or sandwiches.
You can find seeds available at Eden Brothers.
13. Salad Bush
‘Salad Bush’ is a compact hybrid bush variety ideal for container growing. Dark green eight-inch fruits are ready for harvest in 57 days.
This cultivar was a winner of the All-America Selections award in the edible category in 1988.
‘Salad Bush’ is resistant to mosaic virus, downy mildew, scab, and leaf spot.
Find seeds in a variety of packet sizes available at True Leaf Market.
14. Spacemaster
‘Spacemaster’ is an open-pollinated compact bush variety that produces six- to eight-inch light green fruits in just 65 days.
Developed by Dr. Henry Munger of Cornell University, this cultivar was first brought to market in 1980.
Ideal for container growing, the crisp, non-bitter cucumbers can be used for slicing or harvested early for pickling.
Plants are resistant to mosaic virus and scab, and have moderate resistance to downy and powdery mildew.
You can find seeds in a variety of packet sizes available at Eden Brothers.
15. Straight Eight
‘Straight Eight’ is an heirloom cultivar that produces eight-inch light green fruits with fine-grained flesh and great taste in just 65 days.
The long, vigorous, trailing vines will appreciate support or trellising.
‘Straight Eight’ was introduced to the market in 1935 by Ferry-Morse Seeds, and won the All-America Selections award in the edible category the same year.
You can find seeds available in a variety of packet sizes at Eden Brothers.
16. Sugar Crunch
A compact hybrid cultivar, ‘Sugar Crunch’ produces an abundance of crisp, crunchy fruit with smooth, light green skin.
Best picked at four to five inches long, they are ideal for slicing, with a sweet, mild flavor. They are also suitable for pickling.
Fruits mature in 57 days.
Find packets of 30 seeds available at Burpee.
17. Sweet Slice
‘Sweet Slice’ is a hybrid cultivar with 10- to 12-inch, crisp, tender fruits with thin, dark green skin and a sweet, mild flavor with no hint of bitterness.
Ready for harvest in 55 to 62 days, ‘Sweet Slice’ produces burpless cucumbers that require no peeling.
Find seeds from Hometown Seeds via Amazon.
18. Sweet Success
‘Sweet Success’ is a seedless hybrid that produces 12- to 14-inch seedless, thin-skinned fruit with a mild, sweet taste.
An All-America Selections winner in the edible category in 1983, ‘Sweet Success’ grows on vigorous vines and is ready to harvest in just 54 days.
‘Sweet Success should be grown on a trellis or staked. This cultivar is resistant to mosaic virus, scab, powdery mildew, and leaf spot.
Packets of 15 seeds are available at Burpee.
19. Tanja
‘Tanja’ is a highly productive open-pollinated cultivar that produces 12-inch slender cucumbers that are firm and crunchy.
Without a hint of bitterness, the flavor is mild, almost sweet.
Vigorous vines will require trellising to produce uniformly straight fruit.
Ready to pick in 60 days, plants continue to produce over a long harvest period.
Seeds are available via Amazon.
20. Tendergreen Burpless
Also known as ‘Burpless Tendergreen,’ this heirloom cultivar produces mild, burpless cucumbers with dark green skin, thin skin.
Best harvested at eight inches or less, ‘Tendergreen Burpless’ is suitable for slicing or pickling.
Plants are vigorous growers, and are resistant to powdery and downy mildew. Harvest after 55 days.
Seeds are available in a variety of packet sizes from Eden Brothers.
Pickling
Pickling cucumbers are shorter, with more spines, and they typically have drier flesh with a lower water content.
Some varieties are dual-purpose, suitable for both slicing and pickling.
21. Boston Pickling
‘Boston Pickling’ is an heirloom cultivar that is suitable for both pickling and slicing. Three to six-inch long, bright green fruits with crisp flesh grow on vigorous vines.
This cultivar was first introduced by Wood and Sons in 1880. Cucumbers are ready to harvest after 55 days.
Find seeds available at Eden Brothers.
22. Burpee Pickler
A hybrid cultivar, ‘Burpee Pickler’ grows long, vigorous vines and produces heavy yields of black-spined, medium green, three- to five-inch fruits with blunt tips.
Tolerant to mosaic virus, fruits are ready to harvest in 53 days.
Find packets of 100 seeds available at Burpee.
23. Bush Pickle
‘Bush Pickle’ is a hybrid cultivar ideal for containers or smaller gardens. It has a compact bushy growth habit, and produces a large number of light green, four to five-inch fruits.
Sweet and tender fruits are ready for harvest after 50 days.
Find seeds in a variety of packet sizes at True Leaf Market.
24. Calypso
‘Calypso’ is a hybrid cultivar developed at the North Carolina Agriculture Research Station. It produces high yields of three-inch, firm fruit, an inch in diameter.
Dark green cucumbers with minimal white spines mature in 52 days, and are ideal for pickling but can also be enjoyed sliced.
‘Calypso’ exhibits resistance to powdery mildew, mosaic virus, and anthracnose.
Seeds are available in a variety of package sizes and in bulk from True Leaf Market.
25. Carolina
A hybrid cultivar, ‘Carolina’ is a compact vining type with medium green fruits of three to four inches long.
Developed at Clemson University in South Carolina, disease-resistant plants produce high yields in just 55 days.
Find seed packets available from Isla‘s Garden Seeds via Amazon.
26. Fancipak
A hybrid cultivar, ‘Fancipak’ produces uniform fruit with tender skin and a blocky shape.
Medium to large vines with dense foliage protect the developing fruit from sunscald, which makes it a good choice for growing in hotter climates.
Medium green four-inch cukes are ready to harvest in about 54 days.
Resilient plants are resistant to mosaic virus, downy and powdery mildew, scab, and anthracnose.
Find seeds available on Amazon.
27. Homemade Pickles
‘Homemade Pickles’ is an heirloom cultivar. Also known as ‘Southern Homemade Pickles,’ this is a vigorous bush variety that produces an abundance of five to six-inch fruits.
The crisp texture and sweet flavor make this variety a popular choice for pickling as well as fresh eating.
Harvest when small for baby sweet pickles, and expect 55 to 60 days to full maturity.
Find seeds in a variety of packet sizes available at Eden Brothers.
28. Little Leaf H-19
Emerald green three to five-inch fruits grow on compact multi-branching vines. ‘Little Leaf H-19’ is a hybrid cultivar bred in 1991 at the University of Arkansas.
Smaller than what you will typically see on most cultivars, the leaves improve visibility for harvesting, and plants can be grown in containers or in small space gardens.
Excellent both for pickling and fresh eating, this variety is resistant to mosaic virus, powdery and downy mildew, and scab.
Find seeds available from David’s Garden Seeds via Amazon.
29. National Pickling
Also known as ‘National Pickle’ or ‘National Association Pickling,’ this cultivar was bred in 1924 at the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station for the National Pickle Packers Association.
Vigorous medium-length vines produce large yields of six-inch crispy, tender-skinned cucumbers.
You can harvest two-inch baby gherkins for pickling, and larger fruits are ideal for slicing.
Plants are resistant to mosaic virus and ready to harvest in 55 days.
Find seeds in a variety of packet sizes available at Eden Brothers.
30. Parisian
A French heirloom cultivar, ‘Parisian Pickling’ was first listed in seed catalogs in the US in 1892 by J. H. Gregory.
Used extensively in commercial production in Europe in the late 19th century, three- to six-inch fruits grow on semi-vining plants.
An All-American Selections winner in 2015, ‘Parisian Pickling’ is disease resistant and suitable for growing in containers and raised bed gardens, ready to harvest in 55 days.
Find packets of 30 seeds available at Burpee.
31. Pick a Bushel
A hybrid cultivar, ‘Pick a Bushel’ is a semi-bush variety that produces an abundance of sweet, crisp fruits with light green skin.
An All-America Selections winner in 2014, ‘Pick a Bushel’ is ideal for growers in northern regions, with fruits that are ready to harvest in 50 days.
Fruits are best picked when they are between three and six inches long, and the compact vines are suitable for small space gardens or container growing.
Plants are resistant to mosaic virus and scab.
Packets of 30 seeds are available at Burpee.
32. Picklebush
‘Picklebush’ is a hybrid cultivar bred by Burpee, with compact vines and a bushy growth habit. White-spined four-and-a-half-inch fruit have that classic pickle look: green with pale stripes.
Plants are resistant to powdery mildew and mosaic virus.
This variety is ideal for growing in containers or in small gardens, and provides an abundant harvest after 52 days.
Find packets of 50 seeds available at Burpee.
33. Supremo
‘Supremo’ is a Burpee exclusive hybrid cultivar with compact bushy vines that produce a prolific harvest of three to four-inch, dark green, striped fruits.
Suitable for container growing, plants are disease resistant, and these are ready to pick after 52 days.
Find packets of 30 seeds available at Burpee.
Which Variety Is Right for You?
Armed with this lengthy list of cucumber cultivars to choose from, you’re sure to find one perfect for your growing conditions and personal taste.
If you’re just getting started, be sure to check out our cucumber growing guide for everything you need to know.
Do you want to grow long slicing types, or petite picklers? Let us know your favorites in the comments below!
And for more information on growing other vegetables in your garden, you’ll need these guides next:
Dear Gretchen,
I have an incredible cucumber variety called the Striped Carosello Leccese. It is much better of a slicing cucumber than anything else I have ever tried. It is tender, yet crisp and juicy. It is bitter-free and does not cause indigestion. This variety is an ancient heirloom from southern Italy and loves the heat. Could I send you some seeds to grow out?
Respectfully,
-Jay
Jay, I’m so sorry I missed your note. Email me at gretchen at gardenerspath dot com. 🙂
JAY – you can send me some!
Hi Jay,
I just saw your post at gardener’s path about your cucumber. Is it okay if I can have
some seeds too? I really like cucumber especially ones that is crispy and bitter free.
Thanks for your considerations.
Respectfully,
Jess
Does anybody know what type of cucumber this is? I tried them risking to poison myself but it started growing on my backyard, I guess because of bird droppings so I though if?it’s goog for them?might be good for me! Their like hardly 1 inch long and are pale green then turn black purpurish.
I’m not sure what you have, Oscar. Can you post a photo, and maybe one of our readers will be able to help.
Hello Gretchen just wondering if we could be related. Thanks for your informative articles on cucumbers.
George Heber.
i want to learn more on cucumbers and when they can be grown. the type of soil is important to me.
You can read all about growing cucumbers here!
Aloha Gretchen- I purchased some seeds from a local seed store in Hawaii simply named “Cucumber, American Variety.” So far, the plant is doing well and I just put in some stakes (3 of them, teepee style) so that the tendrils had something to grab on to. What the package doesn’t tell me is how high these will grow. I’ve tried to contact the local seed store but they have closed due to pandemic. I planted them on 5/23 and I’m guessing they’ll be ready to harvest around end of July. Any tips? I haven’t grown cucumbers before. Hawaii weather… Read more »
Hi Tracy, ‘American Variety,’ huh? That could be tricky to figure out, but the first thing that comes to mind is that this is your typical slicing, burpless cuke, sometimes referred to as ‘American Slicing.’ Since different cultivars come in all different sizes (and you haven’t been able to reach anyone at the seed store), you’re right that your best bet is to keep the average maturation rate for cucumber in mind (50-70 days) and go from there. The length of the vines as well as the size of the mature fruit can vary depending on the cultivar so you’ll… Read more »
My neighbor gave me some cucumber seeds which I planted next to my Luffah seeds. Now, I am not sure which one is the cucumber and which one is the luffah! Also can anyone identify the type of cucumber I have? Thanks.
Looks to me like the first two photos are luffah and the third one is cucumber. Good luck with your harvest!
If you like, feel free to post photos and questions like these to our new forums – the whole community can chime in to help there!
I have been growing cucumbers that are between 10-15 long. What is the name given to them?
Can you send a picture, Kevin? There are several large cultivars out there, such as ‘Sweet Success’ and ‘Burpless #26.’ But keep in mind as I mentioned to Tracy that the longer you keep cucumbers on the vine, the more likely this is to result in a loss of crisp texture and a bitter flavor. Most cultivars should be picked at the peak size for their cultivar rather than allowing them to continue to grow to a huge size.
Hello Gretchen.
I’m just happy to locate you today. I am a practicing farmer who is really interested in growing veggies, but, far in Nigeria in West Africa, I really don’t have much to invest into it…
I started about 400 stands and I couldn’t get the real seed; right now I do not even know the species that I have, though they are just 6 weeks old.
Please how can you be of help unto me? How can I get specified seeds suitable for hot weather?
Thanks.
We’re so glad you found Gardener’s Path! Most types of cucumbers will do well in hot weather, as long as they are watered adequately. I’m not sure whether any of the suppliers that we’ve recommended in this article ship to Nigeria, but I would recommend starting there – you can follow the links and contact their customer service departments directly. Too bad you’re not sure which cultivar you’re growing- feel free to post photos here once fruit develops, and maybe one of our readers can help with identification. I did a little research, and it looks like ‘Darina,’ ‘Greengo,’ ‘Monalisa,’… Read more »
I’m grateful… I’ll post the fruits by weekend. I’ll likewise try all you’ve suggested
God bless you richly
Thanks for the well wishes! Hoping to see some fruits when you’re ready.
Dear Gretchen, I am looking for a small plant/small leaf variety with fruit for salad 3-6 in for growing in an aeroponic tower. I live in Tampa, so hot/humid weather. I am currently growing Picklebush successfully but the fruit is small at 3-4 in and the plant sort of grows out of control. What would you recommend?
If you’re growing in an aeroponic tower, will this be indoors or outside? Bush varieties (like the one you mentioned are more manageable in containers, but they can still grow to be unwieldy. You could try pruning as needed, but you want to be careful to avoid removing too much of the vines of your harvest will suffer. ‘Spacemaster‘ might work well for you, and it has shorter vines so it’s suited to growing in containers, but the fruit grows to be just a bit larger than what you’re looking for. ‘Salad Bush Hybrid‘ is another nice option, but again,… Read more »
Hello Gerald. Just wanted to suggest a variety called ‘Little Leaf,’ available through Amazon. It does have smaller leaves than the other patio varieties, and the fruits are ready to pick when they’re three and a half inches.
I need to grow English cucumber and Persian cucumber, pls how can I get the seed and how do I market my product?
so the best cucumber is the ashley?
so what is the easiest cucumber to grow and the best cucumber to taste
It’s difficult to say what’s the “best” cucumber as it largely depends on your own tastes and whether you want to eat them fresh or use for pickling.
Check out our guide to growing cucumbers to learn about how to cultivate them in your garden.