The cucumber is a vegetable plant that people often make into pickles. It is related to melons, squashes, and pumpkins. The scientific name of the cucumber is Cucumis sativus.
People grow cucumbers all over the world. In colder places cucumbers grow in greenhouses. In milder places they grow in fields or in home gardens.
Cucumbers grow on long, creeping vines with fuzzy leaves. The parts that people eat are long, firm, and green. They develop from yellow flowers. The flesh inside a cucumber is pale green to almost white. In the center are small, white seeds.
People eat cucumbers in salads and on sandwiches. People also pickle them, or preserve them with salt and vinegar. Cucumbers do not provide a lot of nutrition, but the green peel contains vitamins A and C.
