No, a coconut is not a berry. Technically, it's a drupe.
While the classification of fruits can be confusing, a coconut falls into the category of drupes, also known as stone fruits.
What is a Drupe?
A drupe is a fruit with a hard, stony covering enclosing the seed, and fleshy outer parts. Think of fruits like:
- Peaches
- Plums
- Cherries
- Olives
A coconut shares this characteristic, with its hard shell surrounding the seed (the edible "meat" and coconut water). Berries, on the other hand, develop from a single ovary and typically have multiple seeds embedded in the flesh, like grapes or blueberries.
Therefore, despite common misconceptions, a coconut's structure aligns with the definition of a drupe, not a berry.
