Side by side
Almond or peach? How to tell them apart
Prunus dulcis · Prunus persica
How to tell them apart – 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; peach: pink blossom a little later, a shorter leaf stalk and juicy fruits.
How do you recognise them?
- 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.
- Peach
- Small fruit tree with long, narrow, glossy leaves and pink blossom in March, before the leaves.
- Compared with almond: pink blossom a little later, a shorter leaf stalk and juicy fruits.
| Almond | Peach | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Alternate, lanceolate, 7–12 cm, finely toothed and glossy, with a fairly long leaf stalk (2–3 cm). | Alternate, 8–15 cm, lance-shaped, finely toothed, glossy green and often slightly folded along the midrib. |
| Flowering | Pale pink to white flowers (3–5 cm), single or in pairs, February–March, well before the leaves (March). | Pink blossom in March–April, before the leaves, singly or in pairs (March–April). |
| Fruit | Greyish-green, velvety, flattened fruits (3–6 cm) whose leathery flesh splits open in September; inside, a hard, pitted shell containing the almond. | Velvety peaches with a hard, grooved stone, in August–September. The nectarine is a smooth-skinned form. |
| Bark | Dark grey, cracked into small plates. | Reddish-brown to grey, smooth with horizontal streaks. |
| Shape and height | Fruit tree, 4–8 m | Fruit tree, 3–6 m |
| Site | Full sun, any garden soil, dry | Full sun, any garden soil, normal |
| Native to Belgium | No, planted | No, planted |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | – | Yes, for bees |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | June–August | April–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: Almond
- Plant profile: Peach
- Almond: when and how to prune
- Peach: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
Identify by feature
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.