It's science: Why a pumpkin is actually a fruit

Every fall, pumpkins steal the spotlight with multiple purposes: as decorations, for soups and in pies. But here’s a fun fact backed by science: this seasonal favorite is actually a fruit.

Joe Masabni, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service vegetable specialist and professor in the Texas A&M Department of Horticultural Sciences, said pumpkins are scientifically classified as fruits because of how they grow. Anything that starts from a flower is classified botanically as a fruit.

Why do people mistake pumpkins for vegetables?

People typically consider something as either a fruit or a vegetable based on how they eat it rather than how it grows.

“We see them as to whether we eat them as a dessert, salad or as part of a meal,” Masabni said.

For example, consider cucumbers or tomatoes