Blueberries only appear blue due to a natural wax coating that reflects ultraviolet light In the study, published today in science advances, researchers show why blueberries are blue. Learn how this wax works, why blueberries are not the only blue fruit, and what it means for color science.
The blue in the blueberries couldn’t be extracted simply by squishing it since the blue is not located in the pigmented juice that comes from squishing the fruit. This applies to lots of fruits that are the same color including damsons, sloes and juniper berries Roses are red and blueberries look blue
The fruit’s waxy coat just masquerades as blue This wax contains a host of tiny structures, each less than a thousandth the thickness of a piece of paper Such nanostructures scatter blue and ultraviolet. Scientists have uncovered why blueberries appear to be blue to the human eye.
Other fruits like certain grapes and plums also use structural coloration, displaying similar reflective properties Interestingly, this color effect is a natural marvel Blue is one of the rarest colors found in organic pigments, making the structural coloration seen in blueberries a fascinating exception in the plant world.
