Peanuts aren't actually nuts at all—they are part of the bean and pea family.

Even though we call them nuts, peanuts are biologically legumes. This means they are cousins to lentils, chickpeas, and soybeans. Most nuts grow on branches, but the peanut plant does something called geocarpy. After the plant's yellow flowers are pollinated, the stems curve downward and push the seeds into the soil. The peanuts then ripen in the dark, cool earth instead of in the sun.In 2016, scientists mapped the entire peanut DNA code. This confirmed that peanuts are very different from tree nuts like walnuts or almonds. Peanuts are packed with protein, making up about 25% of their weight. This is much higher than what you find in most tree nuts. They are also great for the planet because they help the soil stay healthy.A famous scientist named George Washington Carver discovered over 300 ways to use peanuts in the early 1900s. He worked at the Tuskegee Institute and showed farmers how peanuts put nitrogen back into the dirt. This acts like a natural fertilizer for other plants. Today, states like Georgia and Texas grow millions of pounds of peanuts every year. Even though they taste like nuts, their pods and seeds prove they are definitely beans.