Side by side
Apricot or almond? How to tell them apart
Prunus armeniaca · Prunus dulcis
How to tell them apart – apricot: broad, roundish leaves and orange, edible fruits; almond: small tree with narrow, glossy leaves, pale pink blossom as early as February–March and green, velvety fruits with the almond as their stone.
How do you recognise them?
- Apricot
- Small fruit tree with broadly ovate, glossy leaves ending in a short point, white blossom in March and orange, velvety apricots.
- Compared with almond: broad, roundish leaves and orange, edible fruits.
- Almond
- Small tree with narrow, glossy leaves, pale pink blossom as early as February–March and green, velvety fruits with the almond as their stone.
| Apricot | Almond | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Alternate, broadly ovate to round, 5–9 cm, with a short pointed tip, finely scalloped and glossy; reddish leaf stalk with small glands. | Alternate, lanceolate, 7–12 cm, finely toothed and glossy, with a fairly long leaf stalk (2–3 cm). |
| Flowering | White to pale pink flowers, single or in pairs, as early as March, before the leaves (March–April). | Pale pink to white flowers (3–5 cm), single or in pairs, February–March, well before the leaves (March). |
| Fruit | Orange-yellow, velvety apricots (4–7 cm) with a smooth, flat stone, July–August. | Greyish-green, velvety, flattened fruits (3–6 cm) whose leathery flesh splits open in September; inside, a hard, pitted shell containing the almond. |
| Bark | Reddish-brown and smooth with horizontal lenticels, later dark and fissured. | Dark grey, cracked into small plates. |
| Shape and height | Fruit tree, 3–6 m | Fruit tree, 4–8 m |
| Site | Full sun, any garden soil, normal | Full sun, any garden soil, dry |
| Native to Belgium | No, planted | No, planted |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | – | – |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | May–August | June–August |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Choose what suits your soil, your light and the space you have: see the growing conditions in the table.
Read on
- Plant profile: Apricot
- Plant profile: Almond
- Apricot: when and how to prune
- Almond: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
Identify by feature
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.