Largest fruit

The world's largest fruit is produced by the Atlantic giant pumpkin, which constitutes a large squash within the group of common squash Cucurbita maxima, and is native to North America. On 9 October 2023, a new record for the heaviest pumpkin weighing 2,749 lb (1,246.9 kg) and grown by Travis Gienger (USA) was authenticated by the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth at the 50th Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off held in Half Moon Bay, California, USA. It also had a record circumference of 642.6 cm (21 ft 1 in).

The previous record specimen had weighed 1,226 kg (2,702 lb 13.9 oz) and was grown by Stefano Cutrupi (Italy) from Radda in Chianti, Tuscany, Italy, as ratified at the 10th Campionato della Zuccone pumpkin festival held in Peccioli, Italy, on 26 September 2021. That was the first ever giant pumpkin in competition to surpass the 2,700-lb mark.

As shown here, giant pumpkins can exceed 1 tonne (1,000 kg) in weight, and they originated from South America's large squash by way of efforts made by enthusiastic farmers and botanical societies. Nowadays, a number of notable giant pumpkin festivals are held annually around the world at which specimens are entered in competitions to discover the largest in existence.

Gienger teamed up with pumpkin carver Eric Jones (USA) who would later transform the gargantuan gourd into the largest jack o'lantern, presenting it a month on near Buffalo, New York, USA, to commemorate Veterans Day.