| 
Outstanding Features:
Showy white to pink flowers in early spring. Edible fruit. Clear yellow fall foliage color.
Description:
Height: 15-20'
Width: 15-20'
Hardiness Zone: 3b
Apricots are known primarily for their delicious fruit. However, cultivars grown for high commercial fruit quality are not winter hardy in Northern climates. There are several cultivars that are winter hardy but their fruit is smaller and less juicy. They do make excellent preserves. The hardy Apricot cultivars flower very early in spring with a mass of white or pink flowers covering the bare trees. Late frosts frequently kill the flowers which prevents fruit development. Leaves are a medium green color and are maintained in good quality throughout the growing season. Fall color is a brilliant gold to orange.
Requirements and Culture:
Apricots prefer a good rich loam soil and
full sun. They are somewhat short lived, particularly if grown in
competition with tall grass. Some pruning to remove scattered dead
and dying branches is required to keep the tree in good form.
More than one cultivar should be planted
for cross pollination if fruit is desired.
Limitations:
Apricots do not tolerate poorly drained soils.
Borers can attack the trunk and larger branches, especially if the
plants are under stress.
Selected Cultivars:
'Sungold', 'Manchu' and 'Moongold' are hardier
varieties.
Photo Credit:
1, 2 & 3 MLA.
Minnesota Power | University of Minnesota | Northern
States Power Company
|
APRICOT Prunus armeniaca var. mandshurica