This fruit on Earth looks 'blue' in colour without any pigment

Blue Quandong shines without pigment (Image: X/@BlueJakk)

Scientists have identified a fruit that looks truly blue. It grows on a tree called the blue quandong. The blue quandong fruit is found in remote rainforest regions of Australia.

Unlike other fruits, it contains no blue pigment inside. The discovery is one of the few structural colour examples. The researchers were surprised by its vivid, metallic-blue appearance naturally.

Why this Fruit is Blue in Colour? 

The fruit’s skin contains nanoscale cellulose layers which are perfectly aligned. These layers reflect blue light and cancel all other colours. The sunlight hits, and only blue bounces to eyes.

The same trick gives butterflies and peacocks their shimmering hues. This mechanism is extremely rare in plants on Earth. It proves evolution can bend light, not chemicals, beautifully.

This Blue Colour Works as Survival Tactic

The fruit’s bright blue colour is an attraction for birds with sharp vision. Birds eat it and disperse seeds across rainforest expanses widely. This ensures reproduction and survival for this elusive species.

The vivid colour "blue" may also confuse or deter predators subtly. Structural blue combines beauty with practical evolutionary function naturally. It shows how nature uses colour cleverly for survival.

Can humans eat this blue coloured fruit? 

The blue quandong can be edible for both humans and animals. Though it is not commonly eaten or widely cultivated by humans. It has a sour and unusual taste for most people. The scientists focus on its structural colour and not on culinary use. Its main value lies in research and ecological studies. Still, it is safe for those who are curious to try.

How science see this fruit as?

The scientists see the blue quandong as a natural marvel. It shows how evolution can manipulate light, not chemicals. Structural colour in plants is extremely rare on Earth.

The researchers study it to understand optics and plant survival. The fruit may inspire new bio-inspired materials and designs. It proves nature combines beauty, function, and evolutionary cleverness.