Fruiting

Fruiting is the phase in the life cycle of many organisms during which reproductive structures develop to enable propagation. In plants, fruiting follows flowering and (usually) fertilization, when the ovary develops into a fruit that contains seeds. The fruit protects the developing seeds and often aids dispersal. Hormonal signals—especially auxins, gibberellins, and often ethylene—coordinate fruit initiation, growth, and ripening. Fruit categories include simple fruits formed from a single ovary, aggregate fruits from multiple ovaries of a single flower, multiple fruits from many flowers, and accessory fruits in which adjacent tissues contribute to the edible payload.

In angiosperms fruit development is tied to fertilization; pollination delivers pollen to the stigma, pollen tubes fertilize the ovules, and the zygote matures into seeds. Some plants produce fruit without fertilization (parthenocarpy) for seedless fruit. Ripening involves biochemical changes that alter color, texture, flavor, and aroma and is often regulated by hormones such as ethylene. Fruit may be dry or fleshy; fleshy fruits attract animals for seed dispersal, while dry fruits may disperse seeds by gravity, wind, or mechanical ejection.

Fruiting also occurs in fungi, where fruiting bodies such as mushrooms, cups, or brackets emerge from the mycelium to produce and release spores. Fungal fruiting is typically triggered by environmental cues including moisture, temperature, and nutrient availability, and represents a reproductive phase distinct from vegetative growth. The fruiting body increases surface area for spore production and dispersal; some species have specialized structures to aid dispersal, such as gills in mushrooms or pores in other forms.

In horticulture and agriculture, understanding fruiting is essential for crop yield, quality, and harvest timing. Practices such as pruning, irrigation, nutrient management, and temperature control influence fruit set and development. In ecology, fruiting phenology reflects plant–animal interactions and climate conditions, affecting seed dispersal patterns and regeneration.