Many don't know: the dots on a strawberry's surface are not actually seeds

Many people believe the tiny dots on a strawberry's surface are seeds, but the reality is surprising. Botanically speaking, a strawberry is not actually a berry at all. What are these dots really?

During strawberry season, it's worth remembering an interesting botanical fact: those tiny yellow dots that many people think are seeds are not actually seeds at all. Most people believe that the red surface of a strawberry is covered with seeds, but this is a common misconception.

In reality, these dots are so-called achenes – they are the strawberry's actual fruits. Each such dot is its own individual fruit, which contains a tiny seed inside. So what we call a berry every day and see as red is actually an enlarged flower receptacle.

Even more surprising is the fact that a strawberry is not botanically a berry at all. According to botanists' definition, true berries are actually bananas, avocados, and tomatoes. A strawberry is what's called an aggregate accessory fruit, because its edible part develops from the flower receptacle rather than from the ovary like true berries do.

So the next time you eat strawberries, remember: you're actually eating hundreds of tiny fruits at once, not one berry full of seeds.