Surprise! Your pumpkin is a fruit

Published 8:43 pm Thursday, November 5, 2026

By Kathi Mecham Contributing Columnist

It may surprise you, but that jack- o’-lantern on your porch is actually a fruit

Crisp fall evenings and warm, sunny days make this a favorite season for many. The leaves are beginning to change color across the state and pumpkins seem to be everywhere. They’re displayed on porches, stacked at roadside stands, filling grocery store bins and waiting to be picked at local pumpkin patches. Some were carved and illuminated for Halloween, while others will become seasonal decorations in the yard and porch, or ingredients in soups, breads, and pies.

So, is a pumpkin a vegetable or a fruit?

The simple answer is fruit.

In botanical terms, any produce that develops from a flower is a fruit. Pumpkins start with vibrant yellow blossoms, which are also edible. After the female flower is pollinated by bees or other pollinators, the flower eventually turns into the pumpkin harvested in the fall. Produce that starts as a flower and develops seeds is a fruit.

Scientifically pumpkins are a fruit, however the answer becomes a little less straightforward in the kitchen. Cooks often consider the pumpkin a vegetable because it is used in savory stews and soups. Then again, pumpkins are also stars of sweet favorites like pies, cookies, and breads.

Think about what you will be using the pumpkin for before heading to the pumpkin patch. If you are planning to use the pumpkin for baking, choose one bred for taste and texture. Pie pumpkins or sweet pumpkins are usually darker orange and denser than an ornamental pumpkin. Carving pumpkins are grown for their larger size, shape and appearance. They have less flesh, making them easier to carve.

Pumpkins aren’t alone in causing confusion. Many foods we commonly think of and use as vegetables, but are actually fruits include: cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplants, corn, zucchini, okra, string beans, squash and peppers

Whether you think of pumpkins as fruit or vegetables, there’s no doubt they are one of fall’s most recognizable symbols and one of the season’s most versatile crops.

Fall Tip

Start gathering materials for lasagna gardens. Did you know you can layer cardboard, leaves, grass clippings, and other organic materials to create a garden? I often start a small area in my yard every fall to have a new flower bed for spring. Sometimes they are small spaces, but I’ve still created another areas for wildflowers, black eyed Susans or other plants I add to my yard to encourage pollinators.

For questions about pumpkins, lasagna gardens or other horticulture topics, contact me at mechamk@missouri.edu or call 660‑542‑1792.

Kathi Mecham is a Horticulture Specialist for the University of Missouri Extension. Have a horticulture question you’d like addressed in a future column? Kathi Mecham enjoys hearing from readers and looks forward to sharing timely tips each month in Horticulture Hot Topics. You can reach her at mechamk@missouri.edu or call 660‑542‑1792.