Nut (fruit) facts for kids
A nut is a special kind of fruit from certain plants. It has a very hard shell. Nuts are a big part of what humans and animals eat.
Many dried seeds and fruits are called 'nuts' in everyday talk. But for a botanist (a scientist who studies plants), only some of these are true nuts.
A true nut is made of a seed and its fruit. The fruit does not open up to let the seed out. Most seeds come from fruits that open to release them. But nuts, like hazelnuts, hickories, chestnuts, and acorns, have a hard, stony fruit wall that keeps the seed inside.
In common language, many things we call nuts, such as pistachios and Brazil nuts, are not actually nuts in a scientific way. People often use the word 'nut' for any edible, hard-shelled kernel.
What is a True Nut?
In botany, a true nut is a simple, dry fruit. It usually has only one seed, but sometimes two. The wall of the fruit gets very hard, like stone or wood, when it is fully grown. The seed is stuck inside this hard fruit wall.
Different Kinds of Nuts
Some examples of true nuts include the fruits from oak trees, hickory trees, chestnut trees, and hazelnut bushes.
However, many things we call nuts are not true nuts. For example, the peanut, coconut, almond, macadamia, pistachio, pecan, walnut, and cashew are not true nuts in the botanical sense. They are different types of fruits or seeds.
Images for kids
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Nuts being sold in a market
See also
In Spanish: Nuez (fruto) para niños
