What Fruits Have a Pit Inside Them?

December 23, 2025 •

3 min read

Botanically, fruits with a single hard 'stone' or pit inside are known as drupes. This category includes many popular items such as peaches, plums, and cherries, but also some surprises like coconuts and olives. These fruits are characterized by a fleshy outer layer and a hard pit that protects the seed within.

Quick Summary

This article explores the botanical classification of fruits with a single, hard pit, known as drupes or stone fruits. It identifies common examples, explains the key differences between pits and seeds, and discusses the significance of the pit for the fruit's lifecycle.

Key Points

Drupes vs. Stone Fruits: The terms are interchangeable, referring to fleshy fruits with a single hard pit or 'stone' containing the seed.
Common Examples: Many popular fruits are drupes, including peaches, plums, cherries, apricots, and mangoes.
Pit vs. Seed: The pit is the hard casing (endocarp) that protects the seed inside; a seed is the embryo itself.
Freestone vs. Clingstone: Peaches and nectarines can be categorized by how easily the pit separates from the flesh.
Unexpected Drupes: Coconuts and olives are also botanically classified as fibrous and savory drupes, respectively.
Avocado Exception: Despite its large central stone, an avocado is technically a single-seeded berry, not a drupe.

Understanding the Drupe: The Science Behind Fruits with Pits

The term 'pit' is a common name for the hardened endocarp, or inner layer of the fruit's ovary wall, that encases a single seed. In botanical terms, fruits with this characteristic are called drupes or stone fruits. The outer layer, or exocarp, is the skin, while the middle layer, or mesocarp, is the fleshy part that we typically eat. This unique three-layer structure distinguishes drupes from other fruit types, such as berries, which have fleshy entire walls with multiple seeds.

The Prunus Genus: Common Stone Fruits

Many of the most well-known pitted fruits belong to the Prunus genus, which is part of the rose family (Rosaceae). This group includes many of the summer favorites found in grocery stores and gardens.

Peaches and Nectarines: These fuzzy and smooth-skinned fruits, respectively, are classic examples of drupes. Both come in two main varieties: freestone, where the pit separates easily from the flesh, and clingstone, where the pit clings tightly to the flesh.
Plums: Available in a wide array of colors and sizes, from deep purple to yellow, plums have a smooth, thin skin and juicy, sweet-tart flesh surrounding a single, large pit.
Cherries: These small, round fruits are also quintessential drupes. Sweet cherries are perfect for eating fresh, while tart cherries are often used for pies and preserves.
Apricots: Smaller than peaches, apricots have a soft, velvety skin and a distinct pit. They are often dried or used in jams.

Surprising Members of the Drupe Family

Not all fruits with pits are sweet and juicy. The classification of drupe also includes a number of savory or fibrous fruits that might surprise you.

Olives: Botanically, the olive is a stone fruit. Its flesh is what we process into oil, while the hard pit remains at its center.
Coconuts: The coconut is a fibrous drupe. The hard inner shell we crack is the endocarp, or pit, and the husk is the fibrous mesocarp. The coconut water and meat are part of the seed itself.
Mangoes: A large, tropical drupe, the mango has a sizable, flattened pit in its center. The pit is attached to the sweet, fibrous flesh.
Dates: A sweet, edible fruit of the date palm, a date contains a single hard seed within.
Pistachios and Almonds: These are technically seeds from drupes, not true botanical nuts. We eat the seed inside the hard pit, which is encased by a husk.

Pit vs. Seed: A Critical Distinction

While the terms 'pit' and 'seed' are often used interchangeably, there is a distinct botanical difference that helps explain the internal structure of fruits.


Feature	Pit (Endocarp)	Seed
Botanical Definition	Hardened innermost layer of the fruit wall.	An embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, developed from a fertilized ovule.
Number per Fruit	Typically one.	Can be one (inside the pit) or many.
Function	To protect the seed inside.	To develop into a new plant.
Associated Fruits	Drupes (peaches, cherries, mangoes).	Various fruit types (apples, grapes, watermelons).
Edibility	Generally inedible, and some contain toxic compounds.	Some are edible, some are not.

The Avocado: A Special Case

Avocados often cause confusion. Though they have a large, central stone that looks like a pit, they are botanically classified as single-seeded berries. The defining factor is that the endocarp (the layer covering the seed) in a berry is not hard and stony, but papery. The avocado's single, large 'pit' is actually its seed. Despite this, colloquially, the term 'avocado pit' is widely used.

Conclusion

Fruits with a single pit, known as drupes or stone fruits, are a diverse and fascinating group. From the sweet and juicy peaches of summer to the savory olives and tropical coconuts, the common denominator is a hard, protective casing for the seed. Understanding this botanical classification not only satisfies a curious mind but also enriches our appreciation for the food we eat. The next time you enjoy a cherry or a plum, you'll know the small, hard object you find inside is not just a seed, but a carefully constructed part of the fruit's lifecycle, designed to protect the potential for new life. It's a reminder of the intricate and often surprising complexity found in nature, right in your own kitchen.

Understanding Stone Fruit

Frequently Asked Questions

Fruits with a pit are known botanically as drupes, or stone fruits. This term describes a fleshy fruit with a single seed enclosed in a hard, protective endocarp, or pit.

The pit is the hard, stony layer of the fruit (the endocarp) that encases the seed. The seed, on the other hand, is the actual embryonic plant contained within the pit.

Botanically, the avocado is classified as a single-seeded berry, not a drupe. However, the large, central seed is commonly referred to as a 'pit' in culinary contexts.

No, many fruit pits, particularly those from the Prunus genus like cherries and peaches, contain a compound called amygdalin that can break down into poisonous hydrogen cyanide when chewed or crushed in large quantities. They should not be consumed.

For freestone fruits like some peaches and plums, the pit often twists out easily. For clingstone fruits or others like mangoes, you may need to cut around the pit and then gently remove it.

The exterior of a drupe, the mesocarp, can vary. In coconuts, it is fibrous and dry, while in peaches and cherries, it is fleshy and juicy. The key botanical feature remains the hard, inner layer (endocarp) that forms the pit.

Some less common drupes include lychees, dates, and even pistachios and almonds, though with the latter two, we consume the seed from inside the pit rather than the fruit's flesh.