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Le melon est un fruit d'été.

Le melon est un fruit d'été.
The melon is a summer fruit.
From Lesson 250:Fruit and vegetables·French

Questions & Answers about Le melon est un fruit d'été.

Why is it d'été and not de l'été?
When de (or d') connects two nouns to show the type or category of the first noun, we drop the article before the second noun. The phrase fruit d'été acts like a single compound noun describing the kind of fruit. If you said de l'été, it would sound like a fruit belonging to one specific summer.
In English we often just say "Melon is a summer fruit" without "The". Why is the article Le required here?
In French, nouns almost always need an article. When you are talking about a whole category, a general concept, or a species (like melons in general), you must use the definite article (le, la, or les).
Could I use the adjective estival (summer/summery) instead of d'été?
Yes, grammatically you could say un fruit estival. However, un fruit d'été is the standard, everyday phrase. Estival sounds a bit more formal or literary, so it is less common in everyday conversation about food.

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