Apricot – Prunus armeniaca

The commonly cultivated apricot is a member of the rose family, Rosaceae. The Romans introduced apricots to Europe through Greece and Italy. Cultivation of the apricot goes back 3000 years in China. Today’s plants are grown from rootstock but much of the traditional cultivation was done from seedlings. Hybrid crosses are common among the Prunus species.
Ansu Apricot and Siberian Apricot are two other names for the common apricot. there are many other varieties but P. armeniaca is the most commonly cultivated. The plant is a small tree less than 40 feet in height. The leaves are oval and pointed with slight serration on the edges. Flowers arrive in Spring and have 5 whitish pink petals. The fruit is considered a drupe. It is up to 1 inch in diameter, irregularly round with a bud scar at one end. Fruits are orange to yellow and may have a tint of red on one side. The skin is usually velvety but occasionally smooth. There is a single seed called a stone inside the split halves of the fruit. The fruit is sweet to tart, firm fleshed and has little juice.
Apricot seeds are so sweet they have been substituted for almonds and are the main flavoring for amaretto. The fruit has many traditional medicinal uses in ancient Chinese healing practices.

Descriptions

• Seedlings - No information.
• Stems - Barked trunk, Up to 16 inches
• Leaves - Oval, Entire, Terminal point, Serrated edges
• Flowers - Pink to white 5 petals
• Fruits - Drupe, Orange to yellow
• Seeds - Edible stone
• Roots - No information.

Plant Details

• Type - Perennial
• USDA Zones - 5 to 9
• Flower Colors - Whitish pink
• Plant Height - Under 40 feet
• Plant Width - No information.
• Bloomtime Period - Spring
• Native Habitat - Mediterranean, Chiina
• Toxicity and allergic reactions - No information.
• What Parts Toxic - No information.
• Toxic to humans - No information.
• Toxic to cats - No information.
• Toxic to dogs - No information.
• Edible - Yes
• Edible Parts - Seed, Fruit
• Spacing - No information.
• Planting Depth - No information.
• Invasive - No information.
• Special Features - No information.

Growing Information

• Light Requirement - No information.
• Soil Requirements - No information.
• Care Information - No information.
• Propagation Methods - No information.
• Harvest Information - No information.
• Seed Collection Information - No information.
• Pruning - No information.
• Common Pests - No information.
• Common Diseases - No information.
• Landscape Uses - No information.

Facts & Trivia