Side by side
Apple or plum? How to tell them apart
Malus · Prunus domestica
How to tell them apart – apple: fruit tree with oval leaves that are felted underneath, pinkish-white blossom and apples; plum: stone fruits with a single stone.
How do you recognise them?
- Apple
- Fruit tree with oval leaves that are felted underneath, pinkish-white blossom and apples.
- Plum
- Fruit tree with dull, toothed leaves, white blossom in April and plums.
- Compared with apple: stone fruits with a single stone.
| Apple | Plum | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Alternate, oval, 5–10 cm, toothed; grey-felted underneath (almost hairless in the wild crab apple). | Alternate, elliptical, 4–10 cm, toothed and dull; somewhat hairy underneath. |
| Flowering | Pink buds opening to white flowers in April–May (April–May). | White flowers in small clusters in April, just before or with the leaves (April). |
| Fruit | Apples; on ornamental crab apples, small fruits (1–3 cm) that hang on for a long time. | Blue, purple, yellow or green plums with a flat stone (August–September). |
| Bark | Greyish-brown, flaking in plates. | Dark greyish-brown and cracked. |
| Shape and height | Fruit tree, 3–10 m | Fruit tree, 4–8 m |
| Site | Full sun, any garden soil, normal | Full sun, any garden soil, normal |
| Native to Belgium | No, naturalised | No, naturalised |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | Yes, 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 | July–August and December–March | 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: Apple
- Plant profile: Plum
- Apple: when and how to prune
- Plum: when and how to prune
- Identification key: the question that separates them
Also looks like
- Apple tree or pear tree
- Apple or nashi pear
- Apple or crab apple
- Apricot 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.