What Do Peanuts Look Like

If you’ve ever wondered what do peanuts look like, you’re not alone. Many people are surprised to learn that peanuts grow underground, not on trees like walnuts or pecans. This visual guide will help you identify them at every stage, from flower to harvest.

Peanuts, scientifically known as Arachis hypogaea, have a unique life cycle called geocarpy. This means the flower pollinates above ground, but the fruit develops below the soil. The entire plant, from its leaves to its roots, has distinct features you can learn to recognize.

The Peanut Plant Above Ground

Before you see a peanut, you’ll see the plant. It’s a low-growing annual, usually about 1 to 1.5 feet tall and wide. The plant has a central taproot with a bushy, branching form.

Let’s break down its key parts:

Leaves: The leaves are compound, with four oval leaflets arranged in pairs (two opposite pairs). They are a bright to medium green color and have a slightly fuzzy texture. Each leaf is attached to the stem by a slender stalk, called a petiole.
Flowers: Small, butter-yellow flowers about the size of a pea appear near the base of the stems. They look similar to sweet pea flowers. After pollination, which happens in just one day, the flower’s ovary begins to form a unique structure.
Pegs (The Critical Part): This is the magic. After the flower wilts, the ovary stalk, called a “peg,” elongates and grows downward. It pushes into the soil. The peanut will form at the tip of this buried peg. If the peg can’t reach the soil, it won’t develop.

The Peanut Pod Underground

Once the peg is safely buried, the tip begins to swell and form the pod. This is where the actual peanuts grow.

A mature, un-shelled peanut pod has several defining characteristics:

Shape: The pod is typically oblong, with a slight hourglass constriction between the seeds. It resembles a thick, segmented bean pod.
Size: Most common varieties are 1 to 2 inches long.
Texture & Color: The outer shell is a fibrous, criss-crossed, bumpy mesh. It’s light brown to tan when dry. Freshly dug pods are softer and more pale.
Structure: Inside, the pod is divided into 2-3 (sometimes 1 or 4) sections. Each section contains a single seed—what we call a peanut.

The Peanut Seed Itself

When you crack open the shell, you find the edible seeds. Each seed is covered in a thin, papery, reddish-brown skin, known as the testa.

The seed inside has that classic two-lobed shape. It’s oval, with a slight indentation running down the center. The color of the seed meat is a creamy off-white. Raw peanuts have a crisp, starchy texture and a mild, beany flavor that intensifies after roasting.

Identifying Different Peanut Varieties

There are four main types of peanuts grown. They look slightly different, which can help with identification.

1. Runner Peanuts

Runners are the most common type, used mostly for peanut butter. The pods are uniform in size and generally contain two medium-sized seeds. The plants have a spreading, runner-like growth habit.

2. Virginia Peanuts

Often called the “ballpark” peanut, Virginias are the largest. The pods are big and often contain two, and sometimes one, large, oval seeds. They are popular for roasting in the shell.

3. Spanish Peanuts

These have smaller, rounder pods that usualy contain two or three small, rounded seeds. The skins are a deeper reddish-brown. They have a higher oil content and are often used for candy and salted nuts.

4. Valencia Peanuts

Valencias typically have three or more small, slender seeds per pod. They have a sweeter flavor and are most commonly sold roasted in the shell. The plants are often taller and more upright.

Step-by-Step: Identifying Peanuts in Your Garden

If you’re growing peanuts or find a plant you think might be one, follow these steps.

Check the leaves. Look for the classic four-leaflet pattern on a single stem. This is a key identifier.
Look for yellow flowers at the base. See if you can spot the tiny, peachy-yellow blooms close to the soil line.
Search for pegs. After flowering, look for small, stem-like structures curving down from the plant toward the soil. This is a sure sign.
Examine a pod (if possible). Gently dig near a peg. An immature pod will be white and soft. A mature pod will have the distinctive webbed, tan shell.
Check the seeds. Open a mature, dry pod. You should find 1-4 seeds covered in a thin red skin, with the familiar two-lobed shape.

Common Look-Alikes & How to Tell Them Apart

Some plants can be confused with young peanut plants, especialy by their leaves.

Clover or Oxalis: These also have compound leaves, but they typically have three leaflets (trifoliate), not four. Their flowers are also different.

Young Bean Plants: Some bean seedlings have two initial leaves that might look like peanut leaflets. However, true bean leaves develop differently, and beans produce pods above ground on vines.

The underground growth habit is the peanut’s most unique feature. No other common garden plant sends its flower stalks into the ground to fruit.

Harvesting and Curing: The Final Look

Knowing when to harvest is part of visual identification. About 120-150 days after planting, the leaves will start to turn yellow. This is your cue.

Lift the entire plant gently from the ground. Shake off the soil. Freshly harvested pods will be moist and pliable, not dry and hard. They need to be cured.

Hang the plants in a warm, dry, airy place for several weeks. The pods will dry and harden, turning into the familiar light-brown peanuts you buy at the store. You’ll hear the seeds rattle inside when they are fully cured and ready for storage.

FAQ: Your Peanut Identification Questions

Q: What does a peanut look like when it first starts growing?
A: After planting, a peanut seed splits open, sending a root down and a stem up. The first leaves to appear are the two simple seed leaves (cotyledons). Then, the familiar four-part compound leaves quickly follow.

Q: Can you eat peanuts right out of the ground?
A: You can, but they won’t taste like a roasted peanut. They are more like a raw bean and need to be cooked. More importantly, they must be dried properly to prevent mold, which can produce harmful toxins.

Q: How can you tell if peanuts are bad or moldy?
A> Visually, avoid pods that are cracked, shriveled, or have dark spots. Once shelled, discard any seeds that are discolored (black, green, or blue spots), shriveled, or smell musty. Mold can be dangerous.

Q: What do peanut plant roots look like?
A: They have a taproot system, with one main root going straight down and smaller lateral roots. The unique feature are the pegs—the fruiting stalks that come from above-ground flowers and penetrate the soil to form pods.

Q: Are the leaves of a peanut plant edible?
A: While not toxic, the leaves are very fibrous and not typically eaten by people. They are, however, a good forage crop for livestock.

By understanding these visual cues—from the four-leaflet plant to the underground pod with its webbed shell—you can confidently identify peanuts at any point in there fascinating growth cycle. Whether you’re a gardener, a curious cook, or just someone who enjoys knowing where their food comes from, this guide should help you spot a peanut from a mile away, or at least from a few inches under the soil.