Tomatoes are technically fruits because they contain seeds, while watermelons are vegetables only in Oklahoma, where they were made the official state vegetable in 2007. The legislation was reviewed in 2015, but watermelon still holds its bizarre status. Oklahoma also has official state animals, insects, and flying mammals.
In case you haven’t heard, those tomatoes in the garden? I’m really fruity. Scientifically speaking, the tomato develops from the ovary to the base of its flower, and contains the plant’s seeds, so technically it’s a fruit. Strange, huh? Watermelons, on the other hand, are indeed vegetables, but only in the state of Oklahoma. That’s because state politicians decided to make watermelon the official state vegetable in 2007. State Senator Don Barrington, who sponsored the legislation, hoped to bolster his constituents in the Rush Springs area, a hotbed for growing watermelons and spitting seeds at the annual watermelon festival. The title of “official state fruit” had already been taken by the strawberry, so somehow the watermelon was classified as a vegetable, with the vague motivation that it is related to the cucumber. Anywhere, it is definitely a fruit.
OK, Oklahoma:
“The controversy over whether watermelon is a fruit or a vegetable was officially decided by the Oklahoma legislature,” Barrington said wryly.
The legislation was reviewed in 2015, but watermelon still seems to be clinging to its bizarre vegetable status.
For the record, Oklahoma’s official state animal is the American buffalo, the state insect is the bee, and the state flying mammal is the Mexican free-tailed bat.
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