| Apricots originated on the Russian-Chinese border | | | | national market for flowering trees, Prunus mume, |
| in about 3000 BC and were imported along with | | | | has rapidly developed, because of the abundant |
| peach seed into Europe through the "Silk Road" | | | | white, pink, or red flowers that can appear as |
| that extended camelback trading to the Mideast. | | | | early as the winter in some in some areas of the |
| The fruit grows as an escaped naturalized plant | | | | United States. The trees should be planted for |
| along modern roadsides in Turkey and Armenia | | | | growing, 20 to 25 feet apart, further apart than |
| today in abundant numbers. Apricots were known | | | | peach trees. |
| in ancient Greece in 60 BC and later introduced | | | | A number of flowering apricot trees, Prunus |
| into the Roman Empire. The apricot trees are | | | | mume, are available commercially, the |
| believed to have arrived in the early American | | | | ‘Matsubara Red' that blooms in late winter |
| colonies in seed form for growing into fruit trees | | | | with double dark-red apricot flowers; ‘Peggy |
| by the French explorers of the 1700's in Gulf | | | | Clarke' early rose red flowering in spring; |
| regions and in the Eastern United States and at | | | | ‘Rosemary Clarke,' flowering white in early |
| California monasteries by Spanish explorers and | | | | spring and Weeping Apricot ‘W.B. Clarke' pink |
| missionaries. | | | | flowering in January. |
| The apricot, Prunus armeniaca L., has a distinctive | | | | The fruit of the apricot is round with a prominent |
| taste and no other fruit has a flavor to match it. | | | | rib on the side, varying in color from yellow to |
| Fresh apricots picked directly from the trees are | | | | orange, and a reddish random overlay. The pulp is |
| delicious, if a person is fortunate enough to live | | | | usually yellow, but some apricot cultivars may be |
| close to an apricot tree orchard. Canners of the | | | | white. A large grafted apricot tree may bear a |
| apricot fruit have supplied national markets reliably | | | | few fruits the first year, but most trees begin to |
| with tasty tree-ripened apricots. The most | | | | bear when two years old. Some orchadists thin |
| important market for apricot fruit developed from | | | | out the apricot fruits to every six inches to |
| the exceptional quality, when the aromatic apricot | | | | increase the individual fruit size, and harvesting |
| is dried. | | | | mature apricot trees, begins in May and concludes |
| The apricot tree is beautiful in the landscape and | | | | in July. |
| can grow to a large size and to a great age, as | | | | The apricot fruit has a short shelf-life in grocery |
| the massive root system extends in giant growth | | | | stores of 1 to 2 weeks, and the healthy benefits |
| explosions each year, growing further from the | | | | of apricots are many—from Vitamin A, Vitamin |
| trunk. The apricot tree is very healthy and | | | | B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin C, Niacin, to the minerals |
| vigorous and appears to be resistant to most | | | | Phosphorus, Potassium, Calcium, and Iron. The |
| disease and insect problems, as it produces more | | | | most important cultivars of apricots are Blenheim |
| and more substantial crops of fruit each year as | | | | (Royal), Tilton, Perfection, Moorpark, and Early |
| the tree matures. The apricot tree can be grown | | | | Golden. California grows 94% of the United |
| in extensive areas of the Eastern and Central | | | | States apricots and Turkey grows 21% of the |
| United States and were well northward; however, | | | | world commercial supply. |
| the cold hardiness of the tree itself is verifiable, | | | | Luther Burbank, the famous botanist and plant |
| but early frosts can damage the fruit. | | | | hybridizer wrote in his book Fruit Improvement in |
| Eating the pits of apricots has become a | | | | 121 a chapter that discussed the hybridization of |
| controversial topic in national health debates and | | | | plumcot, a cross between the apricot Prunus |
| law enforcement. Various groups have promoted | | | | armeniaca and the Plum Prunus. |
| an extract, laetrile, of almond pits as being a | | | | Several hybrids resulted from these crosses that |
| cancer cure; however, a number of people have | | | | contained the blending of the general |
| died from the deadly poison, cyanide, including the | | | | characteristics of both fruits. Some hybrids |
| famous actor Steve McQueen. The American | | | | offspring had characteristics directed more |
| Cancer Society states that the cure won't work, | | | | toward the apricot fruit, and other hybrids were |
| and the selling of these substances has been | | | | inclined toward the plum parent. Several |
| declared illegal, and some of the advocates were | | | | "plumcots" have been made available to the |
| arrested and jailed. Other promoters of these | | | | backyard gardener market that demonstrate |
| products have fled to Mexico to promote the | | | | great cold hardiness, juiciness, and a rich, sweet |
| toxins there by mailorder and personal | | | | flavor. |
| appointments. | | | | Recent hybrids of apricots have appread, the |
| Apricot trees normally are reduced in height to 12 | | | | "aprium" that is 75% apricot and 25% plum; the |
| feet by pruning, but the trees can grow to 45 | | | | "pluot" that is 75% plum and 25% apricot, and the |
| feet at maturity. The apricot trees are best | | | | "plumcot" that is 50% of each parent. |
| known as fruit producing trees, but a recent | | | | |