What is the difference between Pome Fruit and Stone Fruit

Both stone fruits and pome fruits are two types of fruit trees that are part of the same family, which is called Rosaceae. In both cases, these are two extremely popular varieties, as it is from them that most of the fruits most consumed by the population derive. Although stone fruits and pome fruits are part of the same family and both varieties are fruit trees, it must be said that there are actually important differences between them.

Knowing the difference between stone fruits and pome fruits is very important in order to understand their treatment in the best possible way and above all, in order to guarantee them maximum well-being as well as optimal fruit growth.

Stone fruit: what are they?

The origin of the term stone fruit is very ancient and in general, the term has been adopted in agronomy in order to indicate all that set of fruit trees that belong to the Rosaceae family and therefore, as the word itself states, lead to the production of a drupe as a fruit. In the stone fruit family it is possible to find some of the most consumed and most appreciated varieties of fruit by the population, such as plum, peach, apricot, cherry and although it has different characteristics, the almond tree is also part of it.

Pome fruits: what are they?

The term pome fruit is widely used in agronomy in order to indicate that grouping of fruit trees that belongs to the Rosaceae family and that lead to the production of apples as fruits. Among the most common pome fruits that are most frequently consumed by the population is apple and pear trees. Among the less common fruit species but still consumed by the population there are also the medlar, the Japanese medlar, the rowan, the nashi and the quince.

Pome and stone fruit: what is their difference?

As you can understand, although both stone fruits and pome fruits belong to the Rosaceae family, it should be specified that these two types of fruit trees are actually very different from each other. The first important difference lies precisely in their fruit, as stone fruits lead to the formation of a drupe while pome fruits lead to the formation of an apple.

Fertilization also differentiates these two types of fruit plants: stone fruits, in fact, need nitrogen fertilization (especially peach trees), as the absence of nitrogen negatively affects the plant, causing yellowing of the leaves and low production; Pome fruits, on the other hand, need less nitrogen.

A further difference between pome fruit and stone fruit also consists in the subfamily to which these two species belong: in fact, stone fruits belong to the subfamily Prunoideae while pome fruits belong to the subfamily Maloideae.

Furthermore, it must be considered that the main difference between the two types is to be found above all in the characteristics of the fruit they produce; stone fruits, in fact, lead to the formation of a fruit characterized by the presence of a skin, a pulp and a stone, inside which it is possible to find the seeds. Pome fruits, on the other hand, produce apples, which are not real fruits but are an increase of a part of the flower, as the real fruit is nothing more than the core of the fruit, which has the important task of going to protect the seeds that are contained inside.