What is the Difference Between a True Fruit and a False Fruit?

True or false: “false” fruit is still fruit.

Answer: True!

Some of the gifts of fruit you can order from Hale Groves are false fruits, while others are true. But how can a fruit be “false?” It might help to consider the background of the delicious food gifts in your Hale Groves fruit basket.

How Does Bearing Fruit Help a Plant?

Before talking about false fruits versus true fruits, it might help to ask, what exactly is the point of fruit so far as the plant growing it is concerned?

Say you’re a fruit-bearing tree. You want your offspring (seeds that will eventually also become fruit-bearing trees) to grow up in a place where they’ll be strong and healthy. You don’t want them growing up too close to you, though – and that’s where fruit comes in.

Growing tasty fruit in which to carry your seeds is a great way to ensure those seeds go to a new location. When an animal comes along, eats some of your fruit, then wanders away, the seeds pass through its body and land somewhere new. Somewhere your “offspring” is growing in a location where it can thrive, but not compete with you so you also continue to thrive. This is just one way that fruit-bearing plants can reproduce.

How Fruits are Classified

The fresh fruit delivered to you and your loved ones from Hale Groves can be classified in many ways, but most seeded fruits are either true or false. What exactly does this mean?

By definition, a fruit is a seed plant’s mature ovary surrounding a simple seed. Fruits grow from flowers, but where the fruit develops determines whether it is true or false. The key difference between a false fruit and a true fruit is that the false fruit develops from the floral parts other than the ovary wall while the true fruit develops directly from the ovary wall. While true fruits form after fertilization, false fruits develop without fertilization.

Which Fruits are True Fruits?

There are multiple types of “true fruits” (i.e. fruits formed from a ripened ovary), many of which you’ll find in baskets of fruit at Hale Groves. Here are a few examples:

• Citrus fruits: Citrus fruits are a type of true fruit that is characterized by their sour or acidic taste. Examples of citrus fruits include oranges, lemons, and grapefruits.
• Drupes: Drupes are fruits that have a hard outer layer surrounding a soft, juicy interior. Examples of drupes include peaches, plums, and cherries.
• Tropical fruits: Tropical fruits are a diverse group of true fruits that are typically grown in warm, humid climates. Examples of tropical fruits include mangos and pineapples.

Which Fruits are False Fruits?

True fruits aren’t the only gift of fruit we offer at Hale Groves! Here are three false fruits you can order as Hale Groves fruit arrangements:

• Apples: Apples belong to the pome family, which contains fruits that have a fleshy, edible core surrounded by a tough outer layer.
• Pears: Native to the Northern Hemisphere, pears are another false fruit example categorized as a pome.
• Cashews: Does this one surprise you? The true fruit of the cashew plant isn’t the nut, but the cashew apple, which is, in fact, a false fruit.

Whether they’re true or false, all fruits contain large amounts of important nutrients including fiber, vitamins, minerals, and various antioxidants and plant compounds. With the wide variety available you’re sure to find fruits that appeal to you, so make a plan to incorporate more fruit into your diet!