Juicy Fruits

[Bonzo 2000]

Why is it that our juiciest fruits like melons and citrus are generally grown in the hottest, driest parts of the world?  Is the juice "grown" as part of the flesh of the fruit, or is it formed from moisture drawn through roots and leaves?

[New Forester]

The juice is indeed "grown", and like all parts of the plant, is from material absorbed through roots and leaves.  In fact, as it's mostly water, it's mainly from the roots (leaves only absorb carbon dioxide and of course light).

 

There are actually many juicy fruits in temperate parts of the world -- for example, apple, plum, blackberry, elderberry and cranberry.  Even in the far north there are cloudberries and many others.  All nice and juicy -- but certainly much smaller than many tropical fruits.  Perhaps that's because the growing season is short, and there's less time to grow?  Or because they are evolved to be eaten by smaller animals?