Apricot or Almond: how to tell them apart?
Apricot and Almond look alike and are often mixed up. Here is how to tell them apart, feature by feature, with their photos and the details to look for.
⚡ The quick answer
Apricot
Prunus armeniaca
Almond
Prunus dulcis
Two of the very first trees to flower in late winter, often from January-February, before the leaves. The almond has larger flowers with narrow petals notched at the tip, whereas those of the apricot are smaller and rounded, borne directly on the twigs. The bark also helps to separate them: reddish-brown and scaly on the apricot, grey-brown and cracking on the almond.
🍃 Leaves
Ovate to heart-shaped at the base, finely toothed, reddish petiole
Lanceolate, finely toothed, long and narrow
🌸 Flowers
White to pinkish, single, appearing before the leaves
White to pink, appearing before the leaves, very early
🍎 Fruits
Downy orange drupe (apricot) with a smooth stone
Non-fleshy drupe with a velvety husk that splits open when ripe, revealing a stone containing the almond
🪵 Bark
Reddish-brown, peeling in scales with age
Grey-brown, cracking with age
📏 Size
4 to 8 m tall
4 to 8 m tall
🗺️ Habitat
Orchards and gardens, especially in a Mediterranean climate
Orchards and dry slopes, especially in a Mediterranean climate
⚠️ Toxicity
Flesh of the fruit edible. The kernels inside the stone contain cyanogenic compounds and should not be eaten in large quantities.
Sweet almonds are edible. Bitter almonds may contain cyanogenic compounds and should not be eaten in large quantities.
🔎 And from the Almond side
Two of the very first trees to flower in late winter, often from January-February, before the leaves. The almond has larger flowers with narrow petals notched at the tip, whereas those of the apricot are smaller and rounded, borne directly on the twigs. The bark also helps to separate them: grey-brown and cracking on the almond, reddish-brown and scaly on the apricot.
🌿 Go further
Want to practise spotting these details on real photos? Floraneo offers profiles and quizzes for dozens of look-alike species.
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.