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Stone fruits are fruits with one hard pit, or stone, around a single seed. University of Maryland Extension names peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots and cherries as the classic group, all close relatives in the Prunus genus, and botanists call the fruit type a drupe, a class that also takes in mango and lychee. In USDA FoodData Central, a cup of pitted sweet cherries lists about 3.2 grams of fiber, a cup of apricot halves about 149 micrograms of vitamin A and a cup of mango pieces about 60.1 milligrams of vitamin C. The tables below give eight fresh stone fruits per cup and per 100 grams, with FDC IDs and FDA percent Daily Value, plus two dried ones.
Peptide Labs does not sell foods. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.
Key Takeaways
- A drupe, in the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources definition, is a simple fleshy fruit with a single pit or stone that contains the seed.
- The core stone fruit list is the Prunus group: peaches, nectarines, apricots, European and Asian plums, and sweet and tart cherries, per University of Maryland Extension.
- Mangoes, lychees, olives, almonds, coconuts, cashews and coffee beans are drupes too, according to UC ANR and UF/IFAS Extension, even though few people call them stone fruits.
- Per cup in USDA data, sweet cherries and apricots list the most fiber of the fresh fruits here (3.2 and 3.1 grams), while lychee and mango list by far the most vitamin C.
- Drying concentrates calories, sugars and fiber by weight: USDA lists 240 calories and 7.1 grams of fiber per 100 grams for prunes against 46 calories and 1.4 grams for fresh plums.
What are stone fruits?
The University of Maryland Extension guide to growing stone fruits describes peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots and cherries as closely related members of the Prunus genus that produce a type of fruit called a drupe. They are commonly referred to as stone fruits, the guide explains, because their seeds are enclosed by large and hard, stony pits, which botanists call endocarps, each holding a single seed.
UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) gives the botanical definition in its Garden Notes: a drupe is a simple fleshy fruit with a single pit or stone that contains the seed, and a simple fruit forms from the pollinated ovary of a single flower. UC ANR describes three layers: a thin skin called the exocarp, the fleshy edible part called the mesocarp, and the seed with its covering, the endocarp.
Stone fruit list: the Prunus group
University of Maryland Extension groups the fruit trees it covers by species, which gives a short stone fruit list:
- Peaches (Prunus persica) and nectarines (listed by the guide as Prunus persica nucipersica).
- Apricots (Prunus armeniaca); the guide also mentions apricot-plum crosses.
- European plums (Prunus domestica), including the prune-type cultivars the guide lists as good for drying, and Asian plums (Prunus salicina).
- Sweet cherries (Prunus avium) and tart or sour cherries (Prunus cerasus), as the guide lists them.
Our single-fruit guides to peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots and cherries cover each fruit in more depth.
Other drupes outside the Prunus genus
UC ANR’s drupe list is much wider than the fruit bowl: it names cherries, almonds, coconuts, lychee nuts, cashews, coffee beans, jujubes and olives next to plums, apricots, peaches and nectarines. UF/IFAS Extension classifies mangoes as drupes as well: its home-landscape guide places the mango tree in the family Anacardiaceae, with the cashew and pistachio as relatives, and describes a single large, flattened seed enclosed in a woody husk.
In the kitchen, though, stone fruit usually means a soft, juicy fruit eaten fresh around its pit. The tables keep to the University of Maryland Extension group plus mango and lychee, the soft, juicy fruits among the others named above. Jujubes are left out of the tables because SR Legacy lists neither their fiber nor their sugars.
Stone fruits ranked per cup in USDA data
The table uses USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy entries for raw fruit and USDA’s own one-cup portion for each entry (slices, halves, pieces or pitted cherries). The percent Daily Value (%DV) compares each amount with the FDA Daily Values for adults and children 4 and older: 28 grams of fiber, 90 milligrams of vitamin C, 4,700 milligrams of potassium and 900 micrograms RAE of vitamin A. Total sugars have no FDA Daily Value, so that column shows grams only. Rows are ranked by fiber.
| Stone fruit (USDA FDC ID) | Serving | Calories | Fiber | Vitamin C | Potassium | Vitamin A | Sugars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherries, sweet, raw (171719) | 1 cup pitted, 154 g | 97 | 3.2 g (12%) | 10.8 mg (12%) | 342 mg (7%) | 5 mcg (1%) | 19.7 g |
| Apricots, raw (171697) | 1 cup halves, 155 g | 74 | 3.1 g (11%) | 15.5 mg (17%) | 401 mg (9%) | 149 mcg (17%) | 14.3 g |
| Mangos, raw (169910) | 1 cup pieces, 165 g | 99 | 2.6 g (9%) | 60.1 mg (67%) | 277 mg (6%) | 89 mcg (10%) | 22.5 g |
| Cherries, sour, red, raw (173954) | 1 cup pitted, 155 g | 78 | 2.5 g (9%) | 15.5 mg (17%) | 268 mg (6%) | 99 mcg (11%) | 13.2 g |
| Litchis, raw (169086) | 1 cup, 190 g | 125 | 2.5 g (9%) | 135.8 mg (151%) | 325 mg (7%) | 0 mcg (0%) | 28.9 g |
| Nectarines, raw (169914) | 1 cup slices, 143 g | 63 | 2.4 g (9%) | 7.7 mg (9%) | 287 mg (6%) | 24 mcg (3%) | 11.3 g |
| Peaches, yellow, raw (169928) | 1 cup slices, 154 g | 60 | 2.3 g (8%) | 10.2 mg (11%) | 293 mg (6%) | 25 mcg (3%) | 12.9 g |
| Plums, raw (169949) | 1 cup sliced, 165 g | 76 | 2.3 g (8%) | 15.7 mg (17%) | 259 mg (6%) | 28 mcg (3%) | 16.4 g |
The fiber spread is narrow: every fresh stone fruit here lists between 2.3 and 3.2 grams per cup in USDA data. A cup of lychee lists about 135.8 milligrams of vitamin C, 151% of the FDA Daily Value, and a cup of mango about 60.1 milligrams, while peaches and nectarines list about 10.2 and 7.7 milligrams. For vitamin A, apricots (149 micrograms RAE per cup) and sour cherries (99 micrograms) lead in USDA data, and lychee lists none. Our lists of foods high in vitamin C and foods high in vitamin A put these numbers next to other foods.
Stone fruit nutrition gram for gram, fresh and dried
Cups of different fruits weigh different amounts, so the per-100-gram view in USDA SR Legacy is the fairer comparison.
| Stone fruit (USDA FDC ID) | Calories | Water | Sugars | Fiber | Vitamin C | Potassium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apricots, dried, sulfured, uncooked (173941) | 241 | 30.9 g | 53.4 g | 7.3 g | 1.0 mg | 1162 mg |
| Plums, dried (prunes), uncooked (168162) | 240 | 30.9 g | 38.1 g | 7.1 g | 0.6 mg | 732 mg |
| Cherries, sweet, raw (171719) | 63 | 82.2 g | 12.8 g | 2.1 g | 7.0 mg | 222 mg |
| Apricots, raw (171697) | 48 | 86.3 g | 9.2 g | 2.0 g | 10.0 mg | 259 mg |
| Nectarines, raw (169914) | 44 | 87.6 g | 7.9 g | 1.7 g | 5.4 mg | 201 mg |
| Cherries, sour, red, raw (173954) | 50 | 86.1 g | 8.5 g | 1.6 g | 10.0 mg | 173 mg |
| Mangos, raw (169910) | 60 | 83.5 g | 13.7 g | 1.6 g | 36.4 mg | 168 mg |
| Peaches, yellow, raw (169928) | 39 | 88.9 g | 8.4 g | 1.5 g | 6.6 mg | 190 mg |
| Plums, raw (169949) | 46 | 87.2 g | 9.9 g | 1.4 g | 9.5 mg | 157 mg |
| Litchis, raw (169086) | 66 | 81.8 g | 15.2 g | 1.3 g | 71.5 mg | 171 mg |
Fresh stone fruits are mostly water in USDA data, from about 81.8 grams per 100 grams for lychee to 88.9 grams for peaches. Drying cuts water to about 30.9 grams, so the rest is concentrated: prunes list 240 calories, 38.1 grams of sugars and 7.1 grams of fiber per 100 grams in USDA data, against 46 calories, 9.9 grams and 1.4 grams for fresh plums. Dried apricots list 241 calories and 53.4 grams of sugars per 100 grams in USDA data. Vitamin C goes the other way in USDA SR Legacy: 10.0 milligrams per 100 grams for raw apricots and 1.0 milligram for the dried entry.
Sweet versus sour: two cherry species
University of Maryland Extension lists sweet cherries as Prunus avium and tart, or sour, cherries as Prunus cerasus. Per cup in USDA data, sweet cherries list about 97 calories and 19.7 grams of sugars, sour red cherries about 78 calories and 13.2 grams. Sour red cherries list about 99 micrograms RAE of vitamin A per cup (11% of the FDA Daily Value), sweet cherries about 5 micrograms. Our guide to tart cherry juice covers the juice made from the sour species.
How stone fruits fit other fruit lists
Our high fiber fruits table places berries, guava and avocado above them; our low calorie fruits and high potassium fruits lists rank them by those measures; and our guide to low sugar fruits covers sugars. The sibling list of citrus fruits covers the other big fruit group.
Daily Values, labels and other notes
- Daily Values: the FDA Daily Values in the tables (21 CFR 101.9) are label reference values, not personal targets.
- Gas: NIDDK lists certain fruits, including apples, peaches and pears, and fruit juices among foods containing carbohydrates that may lead to excess gas in some people and suggests talking with your doctor about your diet (see our gas guide).
- Canned and frozen fruit: the USDA rows above are raw or plain dried fruit. Canned fruit packed in syrup or juice has its own values, so the Nutrition Facts label on the package is the figure for that product.
- Values vary: USDA SR Legacy figures are averages; variety, ripeness and size change the numbers for any single fruit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are stone fruits?
Fruits with a single hard pit around one seed. University of Maryland Extension names peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots and cherries, all in the Prunus genus, and botanists call the fruit type a drupe.
What is a drupe?
UC ANR defines a drupe as a simple fleshy fruit with a single pit or stone that contains the seed, with three layers: skin (exocarp), flesh (mesocarp) and the seed with its covering (endocarp).
Which fruits outside the Prunus genus count as drupes?
UC ANR lists almonds, coconuts, lychee nuts, cashews, coffee beans, jujubes and olives, and UF/IFAS Extension classifies mangoes as drupes.
Which stone fruit ranks first in the per-cup table?
For fiber: in USDA data, a cup of pitted sweet cherries lists about 3.2 grams and a cup of apricot halves about 3.1 grams; the other fresh stone fruits here list 2.3 to 2.6 grams.
Which stone fruit has the most vitamin C?
Among the fruits here, lychee: USDA lists about 135.8 milligrams per cup, 151% of the FDA Daily Value, followed by mango at about 60.1 milligrams.
Is the pit the seed?
No. University of Maryland Extension explains that the seed is enclosed by the hard, stony pit, which botanists call the endocarp.
Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a health condition. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Last reviewed October 2026.
Related guides: Citrus Fruits: Types, Botany and USDA Nutrients per Fruit, Peaches: Nutrition Facts, Canned vs Fresh and Are Peaches Healthy?, Cherries Benefits: USDA Cherry Nutrition, Sweet vs Tart and Pits, Plums Benefits: USDA Plum Nutrition, Calories and Pit Safety, Types of Peaches: Freestone, Clingstone, Yellow and White, List of Fruits: The Fruit Group With USDA Nutrition Values.