Side by side
Apricot or plum? How to tell them apart
Prunus armeniaca · Prunus domestica
How to tell them apart – apricot: small fruit tree with broadly ovate, glossy leaves ending in a short point, white blossom in March and orange, velvety apricots; plum: dull, elliptic leaves and smooth plums without down.
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.
- Plum
- Fruit tree with dull, toothed leaves, white blossom in April and plums.
- Compared with apricot: dull, elliptic leaves and smooth plums without down.
| Apricot | Plum | |
|---|---|---|
| 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, elliptical, 4–10 cm, toothed and dull; somewhat hairy underneath. |
| Flowering | White to pale pink flowers, single or in pairs, as early as March, before the leaves (March–April). | White flowers in small clusters in April, just before or with the leaves (April). |
| Fruit | Orange-yellow, velvety apricots (4–7 cm) with a smooth, flat stone, July–August. | Blue, purple, yellow or green plums with a flat stone (August–September). |
| Bark | Reddish-brown and smooth with horizontal lenticels, later dark and fissured. | Dark greyish-brown and cracked. |
| 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, normal |
| Native to Belgium | No, planted | No, naturalised |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | – | Yes, for bees and butterflies |
| 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: Plum
- Apricot: when and how to prune
- Plum: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
- Apricot or peach
- Apricot or almond
- Apple or plum
- Cherry plum or plum
- Plum or blackthorn
- Plum or wild cherry
Identify by feature
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.