Apricot (Seedling) Fruit Plant

Apricot, (Prunus armeniaca), stone fruit of the family Rosaceae (order Rosales), closely related to peaches, almonds, plums, and cherries. Apricots are cultivated throughout the temperate regions of the world, especially in the Mediterranean. They are eaten fresh or cooked and are preserved by canning or drying. The fruit is also widely made into jam and is often used to flavor liqueurs. Apricots are a good source of vitamin A and are high in natural sugar content. Dried apricots are an excellent source of iron.

Apricot trees are small and spreading, with broadly ovate leaves that have pointed tips. The leaves are bright green in color and are held erect on the twigs. The self-pollinated flowers are white in full bloom and borne singly or doubly at a node on very short stems. The fruits are drupes with a large, flat pit, or stone, within which is the seed. Similar in shape to a peach, the fruit is nearly smooth, round to oblong in some varieties, and somewhat flattened but with little to no hairiness when ripe. Its flesh is typically a rich yellow to yellowish-orange. The seeds (also called kernels) of several varieties are sweet, though they are poisonous until roasted.

PLANTING
Apricots are propagated by budding on peach or apricot rootstocks, and peaches, plums, and apricots may be readily integrated. The tree succeeds in well-drained loamy soil, preferably light rather than heavy. Most varieties withstand winter cold as well as peaches, but the blossom buds, opening earlier than those of the peach, are frequently killed by late freezes. The trees are quite drought-resistant and under favorable growing conditions are long-lived, some living 100 years or longer.

HARVESTING
Apricot harvest is best accomplished when they are completely ripe on the tree. The ripening period of the fruit may extend over a three-week period for some varieties, so picking apricots may span this time frame.

You will know when to pick apricots visually once the fruits change from green to yellowish-orange in color and feel slightly softened, but still firm to the touch. The exact hue varies according to cultivar but regardless of the variety, all apricots soften extremely quickly, making them vulnerable to bruising and subsequent rotting.