I have written a lot of articles with lists of fruits that start with G, fruits that start with S, and so on.
But this one, the list of fruits that start with h, was somehow more difficult. Unlike previous letters, there are not a large number of fruits starting with the letter h, especially popular fruits.
But despite that, I tried my best to explore and find as many types of fruit as I could to make that job easier for you loyal readers. Besides discovering new types of fruits, by reading this list, you will also learn the main characteristics of every fruit on this list and their most interesting facts.
So what could be a better reason to continue reading and to discover what nature offers us, which humankind has given a name with the first letter H?
Finding The Fruit That Starts With H: 25 Most Exciting Ones
I present to you the ultimate list of 25 types of fruit that start with h. Let’s go!
1. Habanero Pepper
Yes, you read that right. Habanero pepper is on this list of fruits. It is on the list of fruits that start with h but the letter doesn’t really matter. The surprising thing is that a pepper found its place here.
But you will be even more surprised when you hear that this isn’t only the case with habanero, but rather with all peppers. Peppers are technically considered fruits. These habanero chilies, or fruits if you want, originate from the Amazon region of Peru. They are initially green but, when they mature, they turn red.
They are very hot since their heat level ranges from 100 000 to 350 000 SHU. Habanero peppers possess a fruity and pungent flavor.
2. Hackberry
Hackberry fruit is that which grows on the hackberry tree, scientifically known by the name Celtis occidentalis. This tree is not well known. One thing that I found about it is that it produces good-quality hardwood.
When it comes to these fruits, they possess thin, purple skin and tiny nuts inside. They have a sweet and crunchy flavor. They are also very nutritious since they are high in protein, fat, carbs, and vitamins.
3. Hairless Rambutan
This is another very mysterious fruit that is closely related to the so-called rambutan fruit or lychee and has a flavor similar to it. It has a sweet flavor.
The tree on which it grows is a tropical one that is native to the Moluccas of Indonesia and the Greater Sunda Islands. It is known by the scientific name Nephelium Xerospermoides.
It has thick, inedible skin and translucent flesh with few seeds in it.
4. Hala Fruit
The Hala fruit is a large edible fruit that is found in southeast Asia, Pacific Islands, and Hawaii. It grows on the Hala fruit tree that is botanically known as Tahitian screw or thatch screwpine and belongs to the Pandanus species.
This interesting fruit looks very odd so it is not a surprise that some people call it an exploding planet because that is exactly what it looks like. The edible part of the fruit is the sweet pulp in the middle that is surrounded by phalanges.
And you’ll have to do some work to get to that edible part. But the result will be fantastic because you can create some incredible sweet dishes like pandan chiffon cake, pandan custard, or pandan curry.
5. Hardy Kiwi
Hardy kiwi, or Actinidia arguta, is also known as Arctic kiwi, Chinese grape, or Chinese gooseberry and it is a perennial vine that originates from Siberia, Japan, Korea, and northern China. It grows on a flowering plant in the kiwifruit family Actinidiaceae.
These kiwis are edible and you can even freely eat them with the skin like you would eat an apple or pear. That same skin is greenish-yellow in color and it is high in acidity until ripe.
6. Hawaiian Mountain Apple
Hawaii mountain apples, also known as Ohi’a ‘ai, are a red fruit that grows in Hawaii, as the name suggests. They are also known as Malay apples in some parts of the Pacific.
This fruit’s color ranges from pale pink to dark, ruby red and they are pear-shaped. They are edible fruits that possess an apple-like taste and texture, that is a crunchy texture and a sweet and delicate flavor.
The dark, hard seeds in the center of the soft flesh are not edible seeds. They are usually eaten fresh but they can also be dried or pickled.
SEE ALSO: Fruit That Starts With V: 15 Delicious Options
7. Hawthorn Fruit
Hawthorn fruit is a fruit that starts with h and grows on the flowering shrub known as Crataegus which belongs to the Rose family. It is widely known for its medicinal uses and health benefits.
Practically all of its parts, including its yellow to dark red berries, are used for that purpose. These berries have a tart, tangy taste, and a mild sweetness.
They are full of antioxidants called flavonoids. Some of the health benefits include lowering the risk of cancer, type 2 diabetes, asthma, infections, heart problems, etc.
8. Hazelnut
Another fruit that starts with H is hazelnut. Hazelnut is actually the fruit that grows on the hazel tree, scientifically known as Corylus.
I am sure most of you know what a hazelnut looks like, but I will just say that it is a round, brown nut pointed at the end with a hard shell.
If you’ve ever eaten Nutella, and I believe that many of you have, you know that earthy, nutty flavor that is the base of it. Of course, if you overlook the sweet taste due to the copious amount of sugar added.
Hazelnuts are a great choice for many sweet dishes like bread, muffins, cookies, cakes, brownies, and biscotti.
9. Heirloom Tomato
An heirloom tomato is a non-hybrid heirloom cultivar of tomato that is also known as a heritage tomato. These tomatoes can be classified as commercial, family, mystery, or created heirlooms.
There are many known cultivars of heirloom tomatoes and some of the most popular ones include Aunt Ruby’s German Green, Big Rainbow, Black Krim, Brandywine, and Cherokee Purple.
And I must also add that when it comes to taste, many heirloom tomatoes are sweeter than standard ones and don’t possess that usual red color because they lack a gene mutation.
10. Hog Plum
The tenth on the list of types of fruit that start with h is the hog plum. Hog plum is also known as yellow mombin and it is a species of plum native to the tropical Americas.
These are the little fruits that have an oval shape and are yellow in color. The fruit has spines that are difficult to separate from the pulp. That is the reason why they are not often eaten straight from the branch.
It has a sweet and sour taste with a bit of tanginess. The pulp is also very juicy with hints of turpentine and an acidic bite. It can be used as an ingredient in jams and jellies.
11. Highbush Blueberry
Highbush blueberries are berry fruits that grow on the Vaccinium corymbosum tree and are members of the Vaccinium genus just like lowbush blueberries, huckleberries, cranberries, and lingonberries.
Like other varieties, these blueberries contain seeds that are edible, but very small, almost invisible.
They originate from the eastern coastal regions of North America and they are naturalized in Europe, Japan, and New Zealand. Other names for these berries are tall huckleberry, blue huckleberry, swamp huckleberry, swamp blueberry, and high blueberry.
12. Highbush Cranberry
The twelfth fruit that starts with h is the so-called highbush cranberry fruit. Although it has the word cranberry in its name, it really isn’t a cranberry at all. This fruit grows on the Viburnum tree, a member of the Honeysuckle family, which is native to North America.
Highbush cranberry is a round fleshy fruit with a central stonelike core that has one or more seeds. It is bright red in color, and it is juicy and acidic just like cranberries.
This fruit can be eaten raw or cooked and made into jam, jelly, sauce, preserves, etc. It is also very rich in vitamin C so it is beneficial for your health.
Cranberry can even be used for making Sprite and, while it does contain soda, this type of Sprite is caffeine-free.
13. Himalayan Blackberry
Himalayan blackberry fruit grows on the Rubus bifrons tree that belongs to the Rosaceae family. This plant was introduced to North America in the late 19th century as a cultivated crop.
These fruits are edible and deep purple to black when mature in fall. They are sweet, mildly tart, and very delicious.
They are mostly used for herbal medicinal purposes such as anticancer, antimicrobial, antidysentery, antidiarrheal, and antidiabetic. They are also full of antioxidants, iron, vitamin C, niacin, and other important nutrients.
14. Himalayan Mulberry
Himalayan mulberry is scientifically known by the name Morus Serrata and, along with its close relatives jackfruit and breadfruit, belongs to the diverse mulberry family. It originates from the Himalayas and the mountains of southwestern China.
The fruit that grows on the Himalayan mulberry tree is edible and it is a cluster of several drupes that are red when ripe. The taste of this specific fruit is somewhat complex and intensely fruity with a bit of tartness balanced with some sweetness.
Himalayan mulberry fruit is usually used for making wine, tea, juice, canned foods, and jam. It also possesses a high nutritional value since it is high in antioxidants, fiber, vitamin C, and potassium.
15. Honeyberry
Honeyberry fruits come from the plant that is in the honeysuckle family. It originates from Japan, but there is a belief that it is also native to Russia and China.
When it comes to their taste, it is somewhat similar to the taste of under ripe blackberry and blueberry and they can be eaten in all the same ways as typical berries. They are also great for jams and fruit wines.
Just like other berries, honeyberries are very healthy since they possess a high amount of antioxidants, fiber, and vitamin C.
16. Honeycrisp Apple
Honeycrisp apples, botanically known as Malus domestica, are an American variety that belongs to the Rosaceae family. They are medium to large apples with a round to oblate shape and a uniform appearance.
The color of the thin skin is usually yellow-green and underneath the skin is white flesh with a crisp and snappy texture. These apples are aromatic and have a sweetness of honeycomb and a subtly tart, tangy flavor with balanced levels of sugar and acidity.
17. Honeydew Melon
This honeydew fruit is a cultivar type of Cucumis melo Inodorus Group. It has a round to oval shape and smooth rind. The edible flesh is pale green in color and the color of the peel ranges from greenish to yellow.
Just like its relatives watermelon and cantaloupe, it contains a lot of water (about 90%), so it can help keep you hydrated. It is also full of vitamin C, potassium, and B vitamins, so you can conclude that it is very healthy.
It can be a great ingredient in fruit salads, desserts, snacks, smoothies, and soups.
18. Honey Locust Fruit
Honey locust is a legume fruit that grows on the Honey locust tree, also called Locust, which is a genus of 12 species of thorny shrubs. It belongs to the pea family and it is native to North and South America, central and eastern Asia, and tropical Africa.
That legume fruit is ovate and elongated and it is generally flattened. It contains seeds that look like beans and are surrounded by sweet-tasting flesh. That flesh has a very sweet and smoky flavor.
19. Horned Melon
Horned melon, also known as Kiwano melon or scientifically Cucumis metuliferus, is a peculiar-looking fruit that originates from the southern and central regions of Africa.
It has thick skin with a bright orange color and is covered in small horns. The flesh is gelatinous with edible seeds in it and has a lime-green or yellow color.
This melon fruit is famous for its nutritional value since it possesses a large amount of antioxidants, zinc, lutein, and vitamins A, C, and E.
20. Honeysuckle
Honeysuckle is a fruit that grows on the Lonicera periclymenum tree which is a member of the Caprifoliaceae family.
The fruit is made of clusters of red berries which are not edible since they are poisonous. But the leaves, flowers, and seeds are used for medicinal purposes. They are great for many conditions like urinary disorders, diabetes, headache, cancer, and rheumatoid arthritis.
21. Hottentot Fig Fruit
The hottentot fig grows on a plant that is known by many names like ice plant, highway ice plant, or pigface and it is a member of the fig-marigold family Aizoaceae.
This fruit is edible, but if you want to truly enjoy its flavors you have to peel it and then eat its seedy and sweet inside because the outside of the fruit is an icky, salty, and slimy layer that you won’t enjoy.
It possesses some medicinal benefits like it is good for digestive troubles, dysentery, and tuberculosis, and it acts as a diuretic.
22. Huckleberry Fruit
Huckleberry refers to several different plants that are all members of the Ericaceae family and are native to the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.
The color of these berries ranges from red to blue to black. They are very similar to blueberries since they are small and round. The taste depends on their color. Red ones are more tart, while purple, black, and blue ones are sweeter. They are all very succulent just like other berries.
They can be used for making delicious pies, pancakes, jams, and even ice cream.
23. Huito Fruit
Huito, known by its scientific name Genipa Americana, is a species of Genipa that originates from South America, southern Mexico, and the Caribbean.
Huito fruit is an edible fruit that is eaten raw and that can also be made into jams, drinks, jelly, sherbet, or ice cream.
This fruit is also used for its health benefits since it is good for common colds, asthma, and problems related to respiratory disorders and it also helps in curing a sore throat.
24. Husk Tomato Berries
Husk tomato berries are a member of the Physalis genus and they grow on an herbaceous perennial that belongs to the Solanaceae or nightshade family.
These berries are small, globular fruits that have smooth, glossy, and taut skin whose color is red-orange when matured. The flesh is soft and pale orange in color and it contains very small seeds.
When it comes to flavor, husk tomato berries possess a mild, sweet-tart flavor. They are also full of nutrients such as antioxidants, vitamins A and C, calcium, fiber, phosphorus, and iron.
25. Hyuganatsu
Hyuganatsu, known by its scientific name Citrus tamurana, is a rare Japanese citrus fruit that belongs to the Rutaceae family.
This medium-sized fruit is round, oval, to slightly ovate in shape. The color of the rind ranges from green to bright yellow or yellow-orange. Underneath the skin is a white, spongy pith that is edible and has a sweet, mild flavor.
The yellow flesh is aqueous, tender, and succulent. This citrus fruit is very aromatic and is sweet and sour in flavor with moderate acidity.
It is very high in vitamin A and vitamin C and it can be eaten fresh or incorporated into both sweet and savory dishes.
Introduce Yourself To Letter H Fruits
So now that you have discovered your favorite fruit that starts with h and learned some important and interesting things about it, nothing can stop you from discovering even more wonderful things about it, as well as about other ones on this ultimate list of fruits that’s first letter is h.