Multiple fruit facts for kids

Pineapple is a kind of multiple fruit.

A multiple fruit is a special kind of fruit that grows from many different flowers. Imagine a bunch of tiny flowers all growing very close together. As each of these flowers turns into a fruit, they all join up to form one bigger fruit! Sometimes, these fruits can become dry later on.

In some languages, the names for multiple fruits and aggregate fruits are switched around compared to English.

Noni fruit, flowers, and developing fruit

The multiple fruit of a Liquidambar tree becomes dry when it ripens.

How Multiple Fruits Form

Multiple fruits develop from a group of flowers called an inflorescence. Think of an inflorescence as a cluster or bouquet of flowers. Each single flower in this cluster starts to make its own small fruit. As these tiny fruits grow, they press together and fuse, or join, into one large, single fruit that you can eat.

Common Multiple Fruits

You might already know some multiple fruits! Here are a few examples:

• The pineapple is a famous multiple fruit. Each "eye" on a pineapple was once a separate flower.
• Mulberry fruits are also multiple fruits. They look like small berries but are made of many tiny fruits joined together.
• Breadfruit is another example, often found in tropical areas.
• The fig is a very interesting multiple fruit. Its tiny flowers are actually hidden inside the fruit itself!

Images for kids

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  A pineapple cut open to show its structure.

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  Black mulberries growing on a branch.

See also

In Spanish: Fruto múltiple para niños