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Foraging Guide: Distinguishing Wild Pears, Apples, and Peaches

A forager had wild pears pointed out by an expert but found it hard to distinguish from wild crabapple/apple. Also asked about wild peaches in the southeast and how they differ from apples/pears (leaf, twig, etc.).

Expert Tips

With practice, differentiating pears from apples is easy. Pears have pointier leaves. Peaches have much pointier leaves and bark typical of Prunus—shiny with radial lines. Differentiating peaches from apples/pears is simple with familiarity.

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