Bananas are Berries, But Strawberries Aren’t

Most of you probably know that tomatoes are technically fruit while watermelon belongs to the group of vegetables. But did you know about this berry confusion that has many people perplexed? Apparently, if we’re to believe the botanical definitions, bananas are berries, but strawberries aren’t.

Categorizing and defining plants is not an easy job and we’re sure the people in charge of it did the best they could, but some things still surprise us. Berries are one of the fruit subcategories, just like citrus, stonefruit, pome, and drupe. Since the technical definition states that berry is a fruit produced from the ovary of a single flower, further research tells us that bananas fall into this category but strawberries and raspberries don’t.

In order to be a berry, fruit needs to have two or more seeds and develop from a single-ovary flower. Bananas fits into this description, and so do tomatoes, kiwis, and eggplants.

What about strawberries? They are known as “accessory fruits,” which means their flesh doesn’t come from the ovaries, but from the receptacle in which the ovaries are found. Good luck knowing your fruits from now on!