Cucumber
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Is cucumber a fruit or a vegetable? Botanically speaking, it's a fruit.
The long, green berries of the cucumber plant are what you usually find in your salads and sandwiches.
They are made up of over 90% water, making them excellent for staying hydrated.
Cucumbers belong to the family Cucurbitaceae family, along with squashes, pumpkins, and watermelons.
Plant description
Cucumber grows as a creeping vine that has roots in the ground and stems that climb using thin, curly tendrils for support. It has large, green, three lobed leaves covered with spiky hairs. The flowers are bright yellow and have six petals. If pollinated, the fruits form from the flowers as long, green cylinders with tapered ends, around 30cm long.
Plant uses
Beauty and cosmetics
Cucumbers are sometimes used in hydrating hair care products due to their high-water concentration.
Food and drink
Cucumber fruits can be eaten raw in salads and sandwiches, or some varieties are pickled. Gherkins and cornichons are young, pickled cucumbers.
Did you know?
Cucumber plants rely on bees for pollination. The bees spread pollen from the male parts of flowers on one plant to the female parts of flowers on another plant so that they can produce fruits and seeds that give rise to the next generation of plants.
Cucumbers are often bred to produce fruit without pollination and fertilisation (parthenocarpy), which makes the fruit seedless.
Where in the world?
Grows best in warm and humid climates with plenty of sun and well-drained soil.
Find it in our gardens
Kew Gardens
A botanic garden in southwest London with the world’s most diverse living plant collection.
Location
View map of Kew GardensBest time to see
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