Where Did Melons Come From

The melon plant is native to central Asia, and its many cultivated varieties are widely grown in warm regions around the world. Most commercially important melons are sweet and eaten fresh, though some varieties can be made into preserves or pickled.

Where do melons originate?

Melons in a tomb Our analysis showed that the closest relative to the domesticated watermelon is the Kordofan melon (C. lanatus subsp. cordophanus) from Sudan in North East Africa. The wild, and possible ancestor, Kordofan melon has a white non-bitter pulp.

Do melons grow in the wild?

Watermelons are thought to have originated in southern Africa, where other variations, sometimes with bitter tasting fruit, still grow wild. The sweet fleshed varieties we know today have been cultivated since at least 2,000 B.C., and watermelon seeds were among the items found in the tomb of Tutankhamun.