Apricot
Prunus armeniaca
Rosaceae - Rose

Description

Leaves: Simple; alternate; ovate leaves broader than in peach; deciduous.

Twigs/buds: Twigs reddish brown, with prominent lenticels. Buds scaly, red-brown like twig.

Flowers/fruit: Flowers perfect, pink to white, 1" wide. Fruit similar to peach but smaller and nearly glabrous with a smooth pit.

Bark: Dark brown to reddish-brown to black.

Wood: Hard and durable; used for agricultural implements or fuel.

General: Native to Asia and long-cultivated. Shade intolerant. Fruit and/or plant part can be nuisances; use fruitless varieties if possible. Sucker (sprout) growth can be a problem.

Landscape Use: Generally only grown for fruit, and I have not seen that many well-kept apricots. However, Dr. Phil Allen at BYU feels that apricot makes a good specimen tree with a nice branch structure. Pests can be a problem. More cold-hardy than peach and quite drought hardy. Many cultivars. Zones 4(3?)-9.

Cultivars: Numerous varieties. 'Goldcot', 'Goldrich', 'Harcot', 'Harglow', 'Hargrand', 'Harlayne', 'Haroblush', 'Harogem', 'Harojoy', 'Harostar', 'Harval', 'Veecot', 'Velvaglo', 'Vivagold'.

Characteristics

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