Strawberries Aren't Actually Berries — But Bananas Are

The botanical definitions of 'berry' and 'fruit' are very different from how we use these words colloquially — and the results are surprising. A strawberry is not a true berry; botanically, it's an 'accessory fruit' or 'false fruit' because the fleshy part develops from the receptacle rather than the plant's ovary. The tiny seeds on the surface are the actual fruits.

A true botanical berry is a fleshy fruit that develops entirely from a single ovary. By this definition, bananas, avocados, kiwis, and watermelons are all true berries. Meanwhile, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries are not. Tomatoes are berries too! This is one of botany's most counter-intuitive facts.