Fruits

Fruit-bearing plants are categorized in several ways. Among the tree fruits are the citruses (oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruits) and apples, pears, peaches, plums, and figs. Most notable among fruits that grow on vines are grapes and kiwi fruit. Many berries are classified as bush fruits (currants and gooseberries), but some, like raspberries, blackberries, and loganberries grow on canelike shoots and are thereby referred to as cane fruit. Strawberries grow on plants that have little or no woody tissue and are classified as herbaceous. The bush, cane, and herbaceous fruits are also referred to as soft fruits.

Another category of fruit is the tender fruits, like pineapples, pomegranates, citrus, prickly pears, and tree tomatoes that need a warm climate to thrive. Nuts, which have a hard outer shell surrounding an inner tissue that can be eaten, are another category of fruit. An important classification of fruits is the distinction between pome fruits (a fleshy fruit surrounding a central core of seeds, such as apples and peaches) and stone fruits (those with a single pit or stone in the center, like avocado and cherries).

Fruit trees are also classified by their size, some coming in a standard size. Fruits that are fleshy, like berries, bananas, and grapes, are often referred to as succulent fruits. Another common grouping of fruits are the subtropical fruits, which in the United States are grown primarily in California. The subtropicals include bananas, which is also called an accessory fruit because it is not formed from the ovary of the plant's flower but an accessory part of it. Papayas, kiwi, and mango are some of the other subtropicals.