Watermelon, Citrullus lanatus

The world’s heaviest watermelon weighed 159 kilograms and was grown in the USA in 2013. The large, popular fruits are botanically a vegetable, but are eaten around the world as fruit.

A portrait of the watermelon

The watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) belongs to the pumpkin family(Cucurbitaceae). From a botanical point of view, it is therefore a vegetable and not a fruit, although it is usually eaten as a fruit. The watermelon is an annual, herbaceous plant with creeping or climbing tendrils. The leaves are deeply incised, coarsely serrated and rough. The flowers are small, yellow and male or female.
The fruit is classed as a pepo (a category similar to gourds) with green, striped or plain skin, depending on the variety. The flesh is usually red or yellow, but there are also melons with orange flesh. The melon is juicy and contains numerous black or white seeds. There are also seedless varieties that have been bred through hybridisation.

Watermelons like warmth and moisture. Cold and wet periods can bring growth to a standstill and even cause the fruit to drop. They also prefer loose, well-drained soil.

From water source to globally beloved fruit

The origins of the watermelon lie in north-eastern or western and central Africa, where it has been cultivated for over 4,000 years – an exact location cannot be determined with certainty. Archaeological finds show that it was already known in ancient Egypt and was depicted on tombs as a symbol of fertility and life after death. Originally, the watermelon was prized for its high water content, which made it a valuable source of liquid and food in arid regions.

The watermelon spread to the Mediterranean and Asia via trade routes. It was cultivated in India from the 7th century, and in the 10th century it reached China, which is now the world’s largest producer. The moorish peoples brought the watermelon to the Iberian Peninsula, where it was cultivated increasingly from the Middle Ages onwards. With the expansion of European colonial powers, the fruit finally reached North America, where Spanish settlers introduced it to Florida in the 16th century.

Today’s production is dominated by China, which provides over 60% of the global supply. Other major producers are India, Turkey, Iran and Brazil. The watermelon is now cultivated in different varieties, including seedless varieties and those with differently coloured flesh such as yellow and orange. Due to its adaptability, it is cultivated in both tropical and temperate regions worldwide.

Even the shell is edible!

Watermelons are mainly eaten fresh, used in salads or as juice. The skin is also edible – especially the white flesh directly under the green outer skin. This layer actually contains many valuable nutrients. It is rich in fiber, amino acids and vitamins. The peel can be added to smoothies in a blender, eaten raw or pickled and marinated. There are many possible uses, but not many people are aware of them. Of course, due to pesticide contamination, it is mostly the rinds of organically grown watermelons that should be used.

Watermelons contain about 90 percent water, which makes them an excellent source of hydration. The red flesh is rich in vitamin C, beta-carotene and lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. Consuming watermelon therefore has many health benefits and helps to prevent chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer and coronary heart disease.

Man or melon – the battle for scarce water

The cultivation of watermelons requires large quantities of water, especially in hot growing regions. In regions such as Spain, parts of China or Morocco, where watermelons are grown, there is already a shortage of water, which poses challenges for watermelon production. The Zagora region in Morocco is particularly famous for its delicious melons. However, large quantities of groundwater are used here to irrigate the fields – in 2016, 30 million cubic meters of groundwater were brought to the fields. While people took to the streets for their right to drinking water, the cultivation of watermelons grew unchecked – until the government intervened and regulated the cultivation.

For this reason, water-efficient cultivation must be used in future, e.g. with drip irrigation and other local solutions.

Sources

Documentation on the global distribution and cultivation importance of watermelons (FAO database – Food and Agriculture Organization)
Schaffer & Paris (2016): Melons, Squashes, and Gourds. Link.
National Geographic (2021): 5,000 years of watermelon – the history of our summer favorite. Link.
Goethe Institut: A city is thirsty: water shortage in Zagora. Link.
Fresh Plaza: Significant area reduction for watermelons. Link.