Prunus armeniaca
L.
Apricot
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What to Eat
Edible parts: Fruit, Kernels, Seeds - oil, Nuts -caution, Flowers - tea
The fruit can be eaten raw, cooked or dried for later use. The best forms are soft and juicy with a rich, delicious flavour. Wild trees in the Himalayas yield around 47.5kg of fruit per year. The flesh of the wild form contains about 6.3% sugars, 0.7% protein, 2.5% ash, 2.5% pectin and around 10mg of vitamin C per 100g of pulp. Each fruit is about 5cm in diameter and contains one large seed. Sweet seeds can be eaten freely raw or cooked; bitter seeds should be eaten only in strict moderation. Bitter seeds can substitute for bitter almonds in marzipan and similar preparations. An edible gum is obtained from the trunk, and the seed yields an edible semi-drying oil of up to 50% of seed weight.
Known Hazards
Where to Find It
It is a temperate plant. It is native to C. Asia and N. China. It grows in cool areas with hot dry summers. They do best on a free draining soil. In Nepal plants grow between 2500-3500 m altitude. It does well in areas with 100 cm rainfall, cool winters with 300-900 chilling hours below 7°C and frost free spring. A pH of 6-6.8 is suitable. It needs good sunlight. It suits hardiness zones 5-10.
Afghanistan, Africa, Andorra, Arabia, Argentina, Armenia, Asia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Balkans, Brazil, Britain, Bulgaria, Canada, Caucasus, Central Asia, Chile, China*, Colombia, East Africa, Ecuador, Egypt, Europe, France, Georgia, Greece, Himalayas, Hungary, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Korea, Kazakhstan, Kurdistan, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malawi, Malaysia, Mediterranean, Mexico, Middle East, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, North Africa, North America, Northeastern India, NW India, Pakistan, Romania, Russia, SE Asia, Serbia, Siberia*, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, Spain, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkestan, Turkey, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Tasmania, USA, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Zimbabwe,
How to Identify
A medium sized deciduous tree. It grows 10 m tall. It is a broad spreading shape. The bark is dark red-brown and smooth and shiny. The leaves have stalks. The leaves are broadly oval. They are 10 cm long by 6 cm wide. They are rounded at the base and taper to the tip. They have shallow round teeth along the edge. The leaves are glossy and dark green. The flowers are 2.5 cm across and pale pink or white. They are almost without stalks and have 5 petals. They occur singly on old shoots. The fruit is fleshy and rounded. It is yellow and can be flushed with red. There is a hard covering over the seed. This stone is smooth. The seeds are oval. The flesh is edible. The seeds are edible.
Nutrition Score: 23/100
| Part | Moisture | kJ | kcal | Protein | Vit A | Vit C | Iron | Zinc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit raw | 86.6 | 117 | 28 | 0.6 | 1500 | 7 | 0.4 | 0.1 |
| Fruit boiled | 82.6 | 92 | 22 | 0.4 | 1180 | 5 | 0.3 | 0.1 |
How to Grow
Global Fruit Crop Industrial Crop: Oil Management: Standard Staple Crop: Protein-oil. Requires a well-drained moisture-retentive fertile soil in a warm sunny position. Succeeds in light shade but fruits better in a sunny position. Thrives in a loamy soil, doing well on limestone. Prefers some chalk in the soil but is apt to become chlorotic if too much is present. Prefers a pH in the range 6.5 to 7.5. Dislikes clay soils. Intolerant of saline soils. Trees drop their fruit buds if there is a summer drought. The apricot is widely cultivated for its edible fruit in temperate areas that have long hot summers, there are many named varieties. The tree is perfectly hardy in Britain but it usually flowers very early in the spring and the flowers are then liable to be destroyed by frosts. It really requires a more continental climate (with its clearly defined seasons) than it gets in Britain. However, if given the benefit of a south or west facing wall and some protection from frosts when it is in flower, reasonable crops can usually be produced in southern England. The plants are self-fertile, but hand pollination would be advisable since they are normally flowering before many pollinating insects are active. In Britain apricots are usually grown on plum rootstocks, 'St. Julien A' is the most widely used. The dwarfing rootstock 'Pixie' is also a possibility, but this must be double worked with 'St. Julien A' because it is incompatible with apricots. Any pruning should be carried out in the summer to allow rapid healing and therefore less risk of infection. Oats should not be grown near apricots because their roots have an antagonistic effect on the roots of the apricot. Tomatoes and potatoes are also bad companions for apricots. If nasturtiums (Tropaeoleum spp) are grown under apricots they will make the fruit less palatable to insects, though this is not detectable by the human palate. Most members of this genus are shallow-rooted and will produce suckers if the roots are damaged. Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus. Harvesting typically occurs in late summer to early autumn, with specific timing varying by species. For instance, plums and peaches are usually harvested from July to September (Northern Hemisphere), while almonds are harvested in August to September (Northern Hemisphere). Prunus species usually flower in early spring, often between March and April (Northern Hemisphere), depending on the species and local climate. Growth rates vary among species, but Prunus trees generally grow moderately fast, often reaching full height in 3 to 5 years. However, they may take several years to bear fruit, depending on the species and growing conditions. It varies by species. Some Prunus species (like many plums and almonds) are self-fertile, while others (like sweet cherries and certain apricots) require cross-pollination with another compatible variety for optimal fruit set.
Propagation: Seed requires 2–3 months of cold stratification and is best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. Stored seed should be sown in a cold frame as early in the year as possible, with protection from mice. Germination can be slow, sometimes taking 18 months. Prick seedlings into individual pots when large enough to handle, overwinter in a greenhouse or cold frame, then plant out in late spring or early summer the following year. Half-ripe wood cuttings with a heel taken in July/August in a frame are difficult. Softwood cuttings from strongly growing plants taken in spring to early summer in a frame are also difficult. Layering can be done in spring.
Medicinal Uses
Apricot fruits contain citric and tartaric acid, carotenoids and flavonoids. They are nutritious, cleansing and mildly laxative, and make a valuable dietary addition that works gently to improve overall health. The salted fruit is anti-inflammatory and antiseptic, used in Vietnam to treat respiratory and digestive diseases. The plant is also used as an antipyretic, antiseptic, emetic and ophthalmic. The flowers are tonic and are said to promote fecundity in women. The bark is astringent, and the inner bark and/or root are used to treat poisoning from bitter almond and apricot seeds, which contain hydrogen cyanide; a decoction of the outer bark is also used to neutralise hydrogen cyanide effects and to soothe inflamed or irritated skin. The seed is analgesic, anthelmintic, antiasthmatic, antispasmodic, antitussive, demulcent, emollient, expectorant, pectoral, sedative and vulnerary, and is used to treat asthma, coughs, acute or chronic bronchitis and constipation. The seed contains laetrile, sometimes called vitamin B17, which has been claimed to have a positive effect in treating cancer, though evidence is currently limited. The pure substance is almost harmless, but on hydrolysis it yields hydrocyanic acid, a very rapidly acting poison, and should be treated with caution. In small amounts this exceedingly poisonous compound stimulates respiration, improves digestion and gives a sense of well-being.
Other Uses
Prunus species work well as windbreaks and in alley cropping systems, supporting pollinators, wildlife and soil health. The seed yields an edible semi-drying oil also used for lighting; this oil has a softening effect on skin and is used in perfumery, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. The leaves yield a green dye and the fruit a dark grey to green dye. The wood is handsome, hard and durable, and is used for agricultural implements and similar purposes. Flowers are rich in nectar and pollen, supporting bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Fruits feed birds and mammals, and the trees provide shelter, nesting and roosting sites. Bark and leaf litter offer overwintering habitat for invertebrates.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Prunus armeniaca is the most commonly cultivated apricot species. The native range is somewhat uncertain due to its extensive prehistoric cultivation. Genetic studies indicate Central Asia is the center of origin. It is extensively cultivated in many countries and has escaped into the wild in many places. The specific epithet armeniaca refers to the country of Armenia in Western Asia.
Production
Trees fruit is 3-4 years. Fruit are picked by hand.
Other Information
It is a cultivated fruit tree. It is sold in local and global markets.
Notes
There are about 200 Prunus species.
Names & Synonyms
Aberikos, Abrico, Abricotier, Abrikos, Albericoque, Albicocca, Aprikhot, Aprikosenbaum, Apurikotto, Asher, Chabacano, Chinese almond, Chudri, Chuli, Damasco, Epulokoti, Haari, Hari, Hung ngan, Jarot, Kham-bu, Khubani, Khumani, Khurpani, Kushmiaru, Malhei, Saari, Siberian apricot, Swari, Tsiraneni, Xing, Yexing, Zangali sharay, Zardalu, Zerdali, Zurdalu
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