A drupe is a fleshy fruit with a large seed in the center – a stone fruit. Plums and peaches are both examples of drupes.
Some berries can appear to be drupes, but they are usually not. Some are classified differently depending on the source. For instance, avocados can be classified as both berries and as drupes.
Likewise, some nuts are mistakenly identified or referred to as drupes.
Plants are classified according to many different factors, including when they leaf, whether they lose their leaves, whether they live more than a year, whether they produce food that we can eat, and more. The term drupe applies to plants that have fleshy fruit surrounding a large seed. A good example of this is the peach, although plums are probably even more recognizable. However, there are numerous other drupes out there, too.
Telling the difference between a drupe and a nut is not always easy. For example, while a plum is a drupe, so is an almond. Both are originally soft, meaty fruits wrapped around a large seed. You do not eat plum seeds, but you do eat almonds.
It can also be difficult to tell the difference between drupes and berries. For example, some sources classify the avocado as a berry, while others classify it as a drupe. Yet other sources use terms like “drupe-like” or “drupeacious” to describe the avocado. Other classifications in the world of fruit include pepos, which are similar to berries, but are actually gourds, and include pumpkins and watermelons. Hesperidium is another berry-like family that contains citrus fruit. Then there are pomes, dry fruit, nuts, utricles, and more.
Synonyms
Drupeacious, Drupe-like, Stone Fruit, Drupe Fruit
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