What Are Those Small Marks on Apples?

The tiny, dot-like blemishes found on apples, pears, and potatoes are called lenticels (LEN-tih-sells), and they play an essential role.

Just like humans, plants require a continuous flow of fresh air, which in this case is carbon dioxide. Trees, flowers, and fruit absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, but unlike humans, plants don't have nostrils to breathe through.

This is where lenticels come into play. These tiny specks are openings in the skin of fruits, tubers, or even tree bark. They allow carbon dioxide to enter and oxygen to exit, acting like little airways that enable the plant to 'breathe.'

Like any opening, lenticels can be susceptible to disease. One condition, known as lenticel breakdown, occurs when a nutrient deficiency causes the spots on apples to darken and form brown depressions. While this doesn't affect the inside of the fruit, it does make the apple less appealing. Similarly, in the condition called ‘lenticel blotch pit,’ the skin around the lenticels turns blotchy and dark, resembling a strange rash.