A gourd is a hard-shelled fruit that grows on vines, related to pumpkins and squash. Many gourds have thick, tough shells that become extremely hard when dried, making them useful for creating containers, bowls, musical instruments, and decorative objects. People have been growing and using gourds for thousands of years.

Some gourds are edible when young. Others, called ornamental gourds, are grown for their interesting shapes and colors: they might be lumpy, striped, bottle-shaped, or covered in warty bumps. These decorative gourds appear in fall displays and harvest decorations.

The dried shells of certain gourds become so hard and waterproof that cultures around the world have hollowed them out to make water containers, dippers, and storage vessels. In many countries, craftspeople carve elaborate designs into dried gourd shells or use them to make traditional musical instruments like the African shekere (a beaded rattle) or the long-necked tanpura (an Indian stringed instrument).

When you see those strange, bumpy fruits at the farmer's market in autumn, many of them are gourds.