Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.); family Cucurbitaceae) is thought to have originated in southern Africa; where it is found growing wild. It reaches maximum genetic diversity there; with sweet; bland and bitter forms.

Evidence of its cultivation in the Nile Valley was found from the second millennium BC. Watermelon seeds have been found at Twelfth Dynasty sites and in the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Watermelon is also mentioned in the Bible as a food eaten by the ancient Israelites while they were in bondage in Egypt.

By the 10th century; watermelons were being cultivated in China; which is today the world's single largest watermelon producer. By the 13th century; Moorish invaders had introduced the fruit to Europe.