Botanical Insights on Fruits for Young Learners

In the field of botany—the science of plants—a fruit is a distinct plant structure that encases its seeds. For botanists, a fruit is strictly defined as developing from the ovary of a flower. You can think of the ovary as the flower’s chamber that holds the tiny, undeveloped seeds.

Fruits typically feature an additional layer surrounding the seeds. This layer might be tender and moist, as in a plum, or firm and dry, like in an acorn. Interestingly, even experts in plant science sometimes debate the best way to classify fruits into categories!

In everyday language, especially in cooking, we often use the word “fruit” to refer to something sweet and succulent. However, many foods we label as vegetables—such as tomatoes and cucumbers—are considered fruits in botanical terms. On this page, we’ll look at what scientists mean by the word “fruit.”

The tender, edible portion of many fruits is known as the mesocarp. It lies between the outer skin (exocarp) and the inner seeds. For instance, the crisp, white part of an apple that we enjoy eating is its fleshy mesocarp.

Varieties of Fruits

Grapes are a kind of berry.

There are numerous fruit types, and botanists categorize them with specific names according to their structure and development.

Berry

A berry is a fruit that is almost entirely soft and fleshy, except for a delicate outer layer. Berries may contain one or several seeds. Consider grapes, avocados, and blueberries—each has a thin skin and a soft interior. Interestingly, strawberries are not true berries botanically, because their seeds are on the surface, whereas a true berry must enclose its seeds within.

Pepo

A pepo (pronounced PEE-poh) is a specialized type of berry. It possesses an especially tough and thick outer covering, often called a rind. Pumpkins and watermelons are common examples of pepos.

Hesperidium

Citrus fruits such as oranges and lemons are hesperidiums.

A hesperidium (pronounced hess-per-ID-ee-um) is another modified berry. It has a leathery peel that is not as rigid as a pepo’s rind. All citrus fruits, including oranges, lemons, and grapefruits, fall into this category.

Pome

Pears feature a central core encased in edible flesh, classifying them as pomes.

A pome (pronounced POHM) is a fruit with a central core, which is surrounded by the fleshy part we consume. The core itself is usually not eaten. Apples and pears are well-known examples. Unlike berries, pomes keep their seeds inside a distinct core rather than dispersed throughout the flesh.

Drupe

The large, hard pit at the center of this peach protects a seed inside.

Drupes are commonly called stone fruits. A drupe is a fleshy fruit containing one hard stone or pit that surrounds the seed. Peaches and olives are classic drupes. You might be surprised to learn that almonds are also drupes—we eat the seed found inside their hard shell!

What Counts as a Fruit to Botanists?

Because fruits develop from fertilized flower ovaries, only flowering plants produce them. Fruits represent an ingenious adaptation plants have evolved to disperse their seeds, often with assistance from animals.

The botanical definition encompasses many items not typically regarded as “fruits” in the kitchen. For instance, many vegetables are scientifically fruits, such as squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, tomatoes, peas, beans, corn, eggplant, and bell peppers. Even certain spices, including allspice and chili peppers, are botanically fruits.

Accessory Fruits

A strawberry is an accessory fruit. The small "seeds" on its surface are actually individual tiny fruits, each derived from a small pistil in the flower.

An accessory fruit, also known as a false fruit, is one where part of the fleshy tissue comes from other floral parts in addition to the ovary.

For example, figs are accessory fruits. Pomes like apples and pears are also accessory fruits—the core forms the true fruit, while the delicious, juicy part we eat develops from adjacent floral tissues.