What fruit has a pip? A definitive guide to stone fruits and pome fruits

January 1, 2026 •

2 min read

According to botanical classification, fruit seeds come in a fascinating variety of forms, from small pips to large stones. To understand what fruit has a pip, one must distinguish between different types of fruits, including pome fruits with multiple small seeds and drupes with a single large pit or stone.

Quick Summary

An exploration of common fruits with seeds, clarifying the difference between small pips found in pomes like apples and larger pits or stones in drupes such as peaches. Also examines aggregate drupelets like blackberries and offers a clear comparison.

Key Points

Pome vs. Drupe: The key distinction lies in the seed structure: pome fruits contain multiple small pips, while drupes (or stone fruits) have a single, large pit.
British Terminology: The word "pip" is mainly used in British English for the small seeds found in fruits like apples and oranges, which are called just seeds in American English.
Aggregate Drupelets: Some fruits, such as raspberries and blackberries, are actually clusters of tiny drupes called drupelets, with each drupelet containing a miniature pip.
Cyanide Concern: While some fruit pits contain trace amounts of a cyanide-releasing compound, swallowing a few whole pips is not considered dangerous, as the toxic substance is released only when the seed is chewed or crushed.
Seed Protection: Regardless of its size, a pip, pit, or stone serves the essential botanical function of protecting the seed to ensure the plant's reproduction.
Common Examples: Apples and pears are classic pome fruits with pips, while peaches, plums, and cherries are well-known drupes with pits.

What is a pip?

The term "pip" is primarily used in British English to refer to the small seeds found inside certain types of fruit, most notably apples and pears. In American English, these are typically just called seeds. Botanically, these fruits are known as pomes. A pome is a type of fruit that develops from the carpel (part of the ovary) of the flower, surrounded by fleshy accessory tissue. The seeds, or pips, are contained within a central core. Understanding this distinction is key to answering the question: "What fruit has a pip?" It highlights that not all fruit seeds are created equal, and the terminology can differ based on regional usage.

Pome fruits (Fruits with pips)

These fruits are characterized by their multiple small seeds (pips) enclosed within a central core. Examples include apples, pears, and quinces.

Drupes (Stone fruits) with pits or stones

While the term "pip" typically refers to small seeds, many fruits contain a single, large, hard seed, often called a pit or a stone. The botanical term for these fruits is drupe. The hard casing protects the seed inside. Examples include peaches, plums, cherries, apricots, and mangoes. Olives are also considered savory stone fruits.

Aggregate fruits (Clusters of drupelets)

Some fruits contain many tiny drupes, called drupelets, with each containing a miniature pip or stone. What appears as one fruit is a collection of these small, individual fruits. Examples include raspberries, blackberries, and mulberries.

Comparison table: Pome vs. Drupe


Feature	Pome Fruits	Drupe Fruits (Stone Fruits)
Seed Type	Multiple small pips	Single large pit or stone
Seed Location	Central core	Central, surrounded by flesh
Flesh Type	Developed from fused ovary wall and receptacle tissue	Developed from the ovary wall (mesocarp)
Outer Skin	Can be thin or thick, such as apples and pears	Thin, can be fuzzy (peach) or smooth (plum)
Examples	Apples, Pears, Quinces	Peaches, Cherries, Olives, Mangoes

Are fruit pips poisonous? The myth vs. the reality

Seeds of some stone fruits contain amygdalin, which converts to hydrogen cyanide when metabolized. However, the amount released from a few accidentally swallowed, whole pips is negligible and generally considered safe.

Conclusion

To accurately answer "What fruit has a pip?", it's important to differentiate between pome fruits like apples with pips and drupes such as peaches with a single pit or stone. Aggregate fruits like raspberries consist of tiny drupelets, each with a small pip. Regardless of the term used or the size, these hard kernels protect the seed within. For more information, you can visit the {Link: Wikipedia page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drupe}.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, pips and pits are not the same. A pip is a small seed typically found in pome fruits like apples, while a pit or stone is a large, hard seed found in drupes like peaches.

A stone fruit, also known as a drupe, is a type of fruit with a soft, fleshy exterior and a single large, hard pit or stone in the center. Examples include peaches, plums, and cherries.

No, it is not dangerous to swallow a couple of fruit pips whole. The trace amount of cyanide-releasing compound found in some seeds is only released if the seed is crushed or chewed significantly.

Yes, some varieties of oranges have pips (seeds), though many common grocery store varieties are seedless due to selective breeding.

Botanically, blackberries are aggregate fruits made of many tiny drupelets, and each of these drupelets contains a small seed, which can be considered a type of pip.

Yes, a coconut is a dry drupe, meaning it is a type of stone fruit. The hard, fibrous shell of the coconut is the endocarp, or pit, surrounding the seed.

The botanical term for fruits with a single large seed (pit or stone) is a drupe.