Book 9, Question 78
Why Is a Tomato a Fruit to Scientists?
A tomato is a fruit to scientists because of how it grows! In plant science, a fruit grows from a flower and holds seeds inside. A tomato does exactly that, even though cooks call it a vegetable.
More fun facts
- Corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and squashes are all fruits to scientists, even though we often call them vegetables.
- A tomato counts as a fruit because it holds seeds, which puts it in the same plant group as berries.
- The US Supreme Court once ruled that tomatoes were vegetables for trade and tax purposes, even though they are fruits in biology.
- Tennessee and Ohio chose the tomato as their state fruit.
- Arkansas named the tomato both its official state fruit and its state vegetable.
Sources: Science News Explores, BBC, Smithsonian Magazine, National Geographic
Questions kids ask
So why do we call tomatoes vegetables?
Because we cook and eat them like vegetables, in salads and sauces instead of desserts.