Are Peanuts a Seed

Like soybeans, lentils, and other legumes, peanuts are edible seeds that grow in pods. Still, most people think of them as nuts, along with tree nuts such as walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts. (Unlike other legumes, which grow on vines or shrubs, peanuts grow underground.)

Is peanut a seed or a nut?

Seeds we commonly think of as nuts Despite the name, peanuts are not really nuts – at least not in the botanical sense. The peanut grows underground, in a pod like peas and lentils. This means it is not classified as a nut but as a legume. This is reflected in the ‘pea’ part of the name.

What part of a peanut is the seed?

Inside each pod are the seeds. Once the blossoms are fertilized, the petals fall away, and the stalks, or pegs, located just under the ovaries, elongate and bend towards the earth, growing into the soil. Underground, the ovary enlarges to form the peanut pod.