When you think of a berry, pumpkins probably are not the first thing that comes to mind. But scientifically speaking, the statement pumpkin is a berry is 100 percent true. According to botanical definitions, berries are fruits that develop from a single ovary and contain seeds embedded in the flesh. Surprisingly, pumpkins check all the boxes.
In botany, a pumpkin belongs to a special category of berries known as pepo. A pepo is a fleshy fruit with a thick outer rind, commonly found in members of the gourd family, including cucumbers, melons, and squash. Since pumpkins develop from the ovary of the flower and have seeds inside their fleshy interior, they qualify as berries.
This fact often surprises people because culinary definitions differ from scientific ones. In the kitchen, berries are small, sweet, and eaten fresh. But in science, it is all about how the fruit is formed. So, the next time someone asks you about your favorite berry, you can honestly say “pumpkin” and have science back you up.
Understanding this botanical classification also gives us insight into how fascinating and weird nature can be. From bananas to avocados to pumpkins, many common foods challenge what we think we know about fruit categories. The fact that pumpkin is a berry reminds us that nature doesn’t always follow our grocery store logic.
So yes, pumpkin is a berry, and that little Halloween decoration just became a lot more interesting.
