Cranberry Bush
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Technically no, but it depends on your definition of berry.
Defining Cranberries
According to Wikipedia, the definition of a berry is; “A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present.”
So by this definition cranberries are berries. They are small, pulpy, and edible. They are certainly brightly colored, tart, juicy and rounded.
But you know how it goes. Tomatoes are really a fruit and that just bothers the hell out of everyone because we treat it, and eat it like a vegetable. So when somebody wants to be a smart Alec and remind us that tomatoes are really a fruit, we feel irritated by it because it messes with the categories that we are already comfortable with.
So just like tomatoes, cranberries are not really berries. They’re classified as epigynous, a type of fruit commonly called false berries which means that some lonely scientist somewhere in an isolated lab found a slight difference between cranberries and other berries and had to put them in a whole new category of fruit.
*** Update, it has come to my attention that although this scientist’s discovery is valid, his peers have decided to never invite him to the annual Christmas party again. Something about fun and his presence and that not being a good combination, or something like that.
So what was this guy’s big discovery?
Get this; regular berries grow from their flower or on top of their flower and replace it. Cranberries grow underneath theirs.
That’s it.
He ruined cranberries.
Cranberry Plant & Origin of its Name
From now on, and until the end of time, cranberries are to be segregated from the rest of the berry population and we can no longer include them when we make lists of berries.
This discovery has also given our smart Alec more fodder to be annoying at family barbecues.
Thanks science. This is why you’re never portrayed as strong and sexy in movies.
So there’s your answer.
Hope this helps.
– Cranby
