10 Facts About Watermelon

A Vegetable

Watermelon is a kind of vegetable. It is a member of the cucurbit family, which includes pumpkins, cucumbers, and squash

Eat The Entire Watermelon

While people prefer to focus on the melon's delicious flesh, the outer layer is equally tasty and high in nutrients

Their Name

Watermelons are so named because they contain 92 percent water, making them great for cooling down during the hot summer months

1200 Varieties

There are 1200 different varieties available. Watermelons are classified into four types: seeded (or picnic), seedless (also known as tiny), and yellow/orange

Seedless Watermelons

Watermelons with no seeds are not genetically engineered. Seedless watermelons are the consequence of hybridization, a totally natural process

They Can Be Really Big

Guinness World Record holder Christopher Kent grew the biggest watermelon to date, which measured 350.5 pounds

Anticancer Properties

They have the highest concentration of lycopene, an antioxidant that has been found to lower the risk of numerous forms of cancer

Square Watermelons

For the past 40 years, farmers in Japan have grown cube-shaped watermelons, pushing them into their square shape by cultivating them in box-like braces

State Vegetable

Oklahoma State Senate honored its then-14th largest crop by passing 44-2 to name it the state vegetable in 2007

Largest Producers

The US ranks fourth in the world in watermelon output. California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, and Georgia are among the top watermelon-growing states

VIEW ALL

Read Next Story