Is pumpkin a berry?

The pumpkin is a familiar symbol of autumn to many, especially at Halloween time, but few know exactly which botanical category it belongs to. One common question is: Is a pumpkin a berry? The answer may surprise many, because botanically a pumpkin is indeed a berry.

Botanical definition

In botany, a berry is defined as a fruit that develops from a single flower and whose flesh comes from the base of the flower. The berry usually has several seeds, and its outer skin can be either thin or thick. Pumpkin meets these criteria because it develops from a single flower and its flesh contains several seeds.

Quarter properties

Pumpkins belong to the Cucurbitaceae family, which also includes other well-known plants such as cucumbers, melons and zucchini. Pumpkin fruit is typically large and its skin can be hard and thick, making it stand out from many other berries. This thick skin is one of the reasons why pumpkin is often not thought of as a berry.

Examples of other berries

Many other fruits that we don’t usually think of as berries are botanically berries. These include, for example:

• Tomatoes
• Eggplants
• Kiwis
• Bananas

These examples show that the botanical definition of a berry is broader than the definition used in everyday language.

Summary

Although pumpkin may not look like a traditional berry, it meets the Botanical criteria for a berry. This is because it develops from a single flower and its pulp contains several seeds. The pumpkin’s thick skin and large size may fool you, but botanically speaking, it is a berry.

For more information on the botanical classification of pumpkin, you can read for example Britannica and BBC Bitesize.