Stone Fruits
Peach, plum, cherry, apricot, nectarine
9 articles in this section
Peach: The Persian Apple — Origin, History, and How to Grow
The peach traveled from northwestern China to Persia to Rome to Georgia in the United States — a 4,000-year journey that left the world's most-loved summer fruit.
Plum: From Wild Europe to Japan to Your Garden
The plum family is enormous — European, Japanese, American, and Chinese plums all tell different stories. A guide to all four, plus how to grow them.
Cherry: From Anatolia to Washington State — Origin, History, and How to Grow
Sweet and sour cherries split into two species 6,000 years ago in modern Turkey. Today they are grown across all temperate climates — and they need precise winter chill.
Apricot: The Armenian Plum — Origin, History, and How to Grow
The apricot's 5,000-year journey from Central Asia to Armenia to Rome to California — a delicate fruit with a tough story.
Nectarine: The Naked Peach — Origin, History, and How to Grow
The nectarine is genetically a peach — a single recessive gene removes the fuzz. The story of that mutation, and how to grow them at home.
Date: The Tree of Life — 6,000 Years in the Desert
The date palm has fed desert civilizations for 6,000 years. From ancient Mesopotamia to the Saharan oases, the story of humanity's oldest staple fruit.
Olive: The Mediterranean Civilization Tree
The olive built Greek and Roman civilization. The 8,000-year story of one of humanity's most-cultivated trees — and how to grow one.
Aprium and Pluot: The Modern Apricot-Plum Hybrids
Aprium and pluot are 20th-century hybrids — the apricot crossed with the plum in different ratios. The story of Floyd Zaiger's breakthrough breeding.
Mahaleb Cherry: The Middle Eastern Aromatic Spice Cherry
Mahaleb is a small bitter wild cherry whose seed-kernel is ground into a fragrant Middle Eastern spice. The story of this overlooked stone fruit.