Watermelon, our favorite summer fruit

Watermelon is the very epitome of summer fruits. Colorful, cooling, soft, few things can compare with the magic that is dipping one’s teeth in this delightfully mushy fruit after a long swim at the beach or in the swimming pool. A summer BBQ table feels empty without it. It’s also, as you might imagine, wonderfully flavorful. A ripe watermelon has a subtle uniqueness about it that makes it popular year-round as a flavor extract in enhanced waters or body lotions.

As a plant though, what do we know about it, other than it grows on vines? Where did they come from and why do they sometimes carry a negative connotation?

History of Watermelons

It is generally understood that watermelons came from the African continent, though there are debates on whether they were first cultivated in the southern or northern regions. Old watermelon seeds were found in the prehistoric site of Uan Muhuggiag, a prehistoric site found in modern day Libya, and which date to at least 3500 BC. Watermelons would later be domesticated in northeast Africa where evidence suggests it was grown not only for food but also for its water content (watermelons are approximately 91% water), an important factor in northern African dry regions.

Image of watermelon in ancient Egyptian text.

By 2000 BC, Egyptians had cultivated watermelons, though not the sweet kind that we know today. Kordofan melons from Sudan are the closest relatives to what we typically think of as sweet watermelon and are more than likely the progenitors or the watermelons we predominantly see in our supermarkets. This sweet variety became popular in Ancient Rome and travelled throughout the Mediterranean.

By the 7th century, the watermelon had traveled as far as India before making it’s way to China by the 10th century (China currently grows about two-thirds’ supply of the modern world’s watermelons). The Moors introduced the watermelon to southern Spain, where it later traveled to the rest of Europe. It was Europeans who brought the seed to the New World, where it was grown as far south as Peru, and as north as Massachusetts.

Varieties and Planting

When we typically think of watermelon, we think of the large round fruits with striped green rinds and bright red flesh with black seeds. This is only one of a thousand other varieties that differ in size, color, seeds, and rind pattern.

Seedless watermelons are some of the most common varieties, and a popular option for those with young children. There are also a group of miniature watermelons.

More interesting perhaps are the watermelons that don’t have the stereotypical red flesh. Yellow and orange varieties exist such as Chiffon, Honeyheart, Desert King, Yellow Doll, or Yellow Baby. Not all these varieties are readily available everywhere, being grown and sold more locally. Sampling them is a unique trip through the growing patterns of a plant that has enjoyed hundreds of iterations.

Planting the watermelon is thankfully doable in many climates. Though they prefer warmer climates with longer growing seasons, they’re possible to seed indoors. There are also a fair number of varieties that don’t require long growing seasons.

Generally, watermelons take about 70 to 100 days to mature fully. The plant will look like a creeping vine before producing fruits like what you see above.

Stereotypes of Watermelon

Watermelons, despite their generally positive view as a summer fruit, also have a semi-racist connotation. After the American Civil War, former slaves in the southern states grew watermelon to sell. This quickly made the watermelon a symbol of economic freedom, and a mark of self-sufficiency.

It meant just the opposite for their former slave-owners. Watermelons being sold by black Americans meant the loss of their dominant status, and created fodder for white southern Americans to characterize and belittle recently freed black Americans. Watermelons were made to be a ‘sloppy’, ‘unclean’, a ‘black’ fruit. Black Americans were portrayed in cartoons and magazines as being overly fond of the watermelon, making a mess while eating it, or even fighting over watermelon crops, making a mockery of black Americans’ economic pursuits.

A postcard from 1909

This stereotype, which saw it’s birth in the late 1860’s, has been annoyingly persistent. Caricatures of black Americans eating a messy, sloppy melon could be seen on home goods or in print even as recently as the mid-20th century. A picture of President Barack Obama eating a watermelon was widely circulated and used by his opponents during his 2008 presidential campaign.

Interestingly however, the watermelon has also been known to be a status of endurance and solidarity, particularly in Palestine. The Palestinian flag’s colors of red, green, black, and white match those of the traditional watermelon. During the 1967 Six-Day war between Israel and Palestine, the Palestinian flag was banned, and the use or portrayal of watermelon (being that it has the same colors) were deemed a violation of their ban. This made the watermelon a symbol of pride and solidarity with the Palestinians. In today’s conflict between Israel and Hamas, the watermelon emoji has surfaced as a way of showing solidarity with Palestinians.

Likewise in Ukraine, the watermelon has become a symbol of resistance. Russian forces occupied a region of Ukraine that was responsible for half the country’s watermelon production. Once Russian troops retreated, the postal service released watermelon-themed stamps to commemorate the occasion, making the watermelon a symbol of endurance.

Benefits of Watermelon

All stereotypes aside, the watermelon truly does have wondrous properties that make it well worth consuming.

Unsurprisingly, the watermelon’s biggest benefit is that it’s hydrating. Being 90% water, the fruit is perfect for those warm, dry summer months. Because of this high water content, the fruit is weighty and filling, but mercifully low on calories (perfect for those trying to manage their weight). For diabetics, the watermelon’s low glycemic index of 80 makes it a great fruit option.

But the fruit happens to also be rich in Vitamins A and C, potassium, and magnesium. Many of the compounds found in watermelon can prevent against heart disease and diabetes. The watermelon’s anti-cancer properties are less easy to prove, but research seems to indicate that the compounds lycopene and cucurbitacin E, both of which are readily found in watermelon, could help prevent cancerous cell growth.

Conclusions

All of this is to say, the watermelon you consume at that next summer barbecue holds much more meaning than you probably realize. But then again, torn away from the stereotypes that surround it, the watermelon is also a wondrous thing to enjoy, just as a plant and fruit.

In admiring the beauty of the watermelon, I’m reminded of how perfect plants are just in themselves, before we attach any additional meanings to them. Whenever I enjoy a watermelon, I think about the perfection that is a summer evening, the coolness of a sweet summer breeze on a hot day, beautiful beaches, and summer get togethers with family. For me, that’s good enough.