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albaricoque, apricot, damasco, Siberian apricot

peach, pêcher, unknown

Habit Trees, not suckering, 50–100 dm, not thorny. Trees, not suckering, 30–100 dm, not thorny.
Twigs

with axillary end buds, glabrous.

with terminal end buds, glabrous.

Leaves

deciduous;

petiole (12–)20–45 mm, glabrous, glandular distally or on margins at bases of blades, glands 1–5;

blade broadly ovate to suborbiculate, (3–)5–9 × (2–)4–8 cm, base usually obtuse to rounded, sometimes truncate or subcordate, margins singly to doubly crenate-serrate, teeth blunt, glandular, apex abruptly short-acuminate, abaxial surface with tufts of hairs in vein axils, adaxial glabrous.

deciduous;

petiole 5–10(–15) mm, not winged, glabrous, sometimes glandular distally, glands 1–4, discoid;

blade oblong to lanceolate, folded along midribs, often falcate, (5–)7–15 × 2–4.5 cm, base cuneate to obtuse, margins crenulate-serrulate, teeth blunt, glandular, apex acuminate, surfaces glabrous.

Inflorescences

solitary flowers.

usually solitary flowers, sometimes 2-flowered fascicles.

Pedicels

1–3 mm, hairy.

0–3 mm, glabrous.

Flowers

blooming before leaf emergence;

hypanthium tubular-campanulate, 4–6 mm, glabrous or sparsely hairy externally;

sepals reflexed, oblong-ovate, 4–6 mm, margins remotely glandular-toothed, surfaces sparsely hairy;

petals white (pink in bud), broadly elliptic to suborbiculate, 8–12 mm;

ovaries hairy.

blooming before leaf emergence;

hypanthium cupulate, 4–5 mm, glabrous externally;

sepals spreading, oblong-ovate, 3.5–5 mm, margins entire, ciliate, abaxial surface hairy (especially along margins), adaxial glabrous;

petals dark pink, obovate to suborbiculate, 10–17 mm;

ovaries hairy.

Drupes

yellow to orange, often tinged with red, ellipsoid to globose, laterally compressed, 25–60 mm, velutinous;

mesocarps fleshy;

stones ellipsoid to subglobose, strongly flattened, not pitted.

yellow to orange tinged with red, globose, 40–80 mm, velutinous (glabrous in nectarines);

mesocarps fleshy;

stones ellipsoid, strongly flattened, deeply pitted, furrowed.

2n

= 16.

= 16.

Prunus armeniaca

Prunus persica

Phenology Flowering Mar–Apr; fruiting May–Jul. Flowering Feb–Apr; fruiting Jun–Aug.
Habitat Roadsides, abandoned plantings Roadsides, fencerows, abandoned farms, streamsides, canyons
Elevation 20–1600 m (100–5200 ft) 0–2300 m (0–7500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; CO; IA; ID; KS; MI; MO; MT; NM; OR; PA; UT; VA; WA; Asia (China) [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; AZ; CA; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MO; MS; NC; NJ; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; TN; TX; UT; VA; WI; WV; NS; ON; e Asia [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Commercial production of apricots in North America is in the western United States, mostly in the San Joaquin Valley of California. There is little market for fresh apricots because of their extremely short shelf life; most fruits are preserved by drying.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Peaches are cultivated throughout much of North America. Commercial production is diffuse, occurring in over half of the lower 48 states as well as in southern British Columbia and southern Ontario. Freestone peaches for fresh eating come largely from California, Georgia, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina; most clingstones are used for canning and are grown in California. Nectarines are a variety with hairless skin. The fruits are popular on picnics, and peach saplings are commonly encountered anywhere pits are discarded. Escapes are usually short-lived; some escapes form naturalized populations. Double-flowered cultivars are used ornamentally.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 375. FNA vol. 9, p. 371.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Amygdaleae > Prunus Rosaceae > subfam. Amygdaloideae > tribe Amygdaleae > Prunus
Sibling taxa
P. americana, P. andersonii, P. angustifolia, P. avium, P. caroliniana, P. cerasifera, P. cerasus, P. domestica, P. dulcis, P. emarginata, P. eremophila, P. fasciculata, P. fremontii, P. geniculata, P. glandulosa, P. gracilis, P. havardii, P. hortulana, P. ilicifolia, P. laurocerasus, P. lusitanica, P. mahaleb, P. maritima, P. mexicana, P. minutiflora, P. murrayana, P. myrtifolia, P. nigra, P. padus, P. pensylvanica, P. persica, P. pumila, P. rivularis, P. serotina, P. speciosa, P. spinosa, P. subcordata, P. subhirtella, P. texana, P. tomentosa, P. umbellata, P. virginiana, P. yedoensis
P. americana, P. andersonii, P. angustifolia, P. armeniaca, P. avium, P. caroliniana, P. cerasifera, P. cerasus, P. domestica, P. dulcis, P. emarginata, P. eremophila, P. fasciculata, P. fremontii, P. geniculata, P. glandulosa, P. gracilis, P. havardii, P. hortulana, P. ilicifolia, P. laurocerasus, P. lusitanica, P. mahaleb, P. maritima, P. mexicana, P. minutiflora, P. murrayana, P. myrtifolia, P. nigra, P. padus, P. pensylvanica, P. pumila, P. rivularis, P. serotina, P. speciosa, P. spinosa, P. subcordata, P. subhirtella, P. texana, P. tomentosa, P. umbellata, P. virginiana, P. yedoensis
Synonyms Armeniaca vulgaris Amygdalus persica, Persica vulgaris
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 474. (1753) (Linnaeus) Batsch: Beytr. Entw. Gewächsreich, 30. (1801)
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