Apricot

Sun

Full sun, ideally at least 6-8 hours daily; choose a sheltered position outside frost pockets.

Water

Water young trees deeply during dry spells. Established trees tolerate some drought, but need steady moisture while fruit swells; avoid waterlogged soil.

Soil

Deep, fertile, well-drained loam, ideally near neutral to slightly alkaline. Avoid heavy, wet ground unless drainage is improved.

Height

15-30 ft (4.6-9.1 m); grafted garden trees may stay smaller, depending on rootstock and training.

Spread

15-25 ft (4.6-7.6 m); rootstock and pruning affect mature width.

Flowers

Late winter to early spring; white to pale pink flowers open before the leaves.

Foliage

Broadly oval to rounded, pointed green leaves with finely toothed edges; usually yellow in autumn.

Growth

Moderate

Care needed

High

• Pollinators
• Wildlife
• Low allergen
• Edible

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Hard

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   7 ft (2 m)

2. After 1 year

   7 ft (2.2 m)

3. After 2 years

   8 ft (2.5 m)

4. After 3 years

   9 ft (2.7 m)

5. After 5 years

   11 ft (3.2 m)

About 20 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Toxic

Growth rate

Moderate

• Plant a grafted tree with the graft union above soil level; stake only if needed for stability.
• Water deeply through the first two growing seasons and during dry weather as fruit develops.
• Apply organic mulch over the root area, keeping it clear of the trunk.
• Feed in spring if growth is weak; avoid heavy nitrogen feeding, which encourages leafy growth rather than fruit.
• Thin crowded young fruit to roughly 2-3 in (5-8 cm) apart to improve size and reduce branch breakage.
• Check pollination requirements before buying: many cultivars are self-fertile, but some need a compatible apricot nearby.

Pruning. Prune in dry weather in late spring or summer, preferably after harvest, to reduce bacterial canker and silver leaf infection risk. Develop an open crown or fan framework, remove dead and crossing branches, and thin crowded shoots without stripping out the short fruiting spurs.

Pick apricots usually May–August in the US, July–August in the UK and Canada, and November–February in Australia, depending on variety and local climate. Harvest when the background colour has changed from green to yellow or orange, the fruit feels slightly soft and smells sweet, and it comes away with a gentle twist; handle carefully to avoid bruising.

Late winter

Check ties and supports, and prepare temporary frost protection before flowers open.

Early spring

Protect blossom with horticultural fleece on frosty nights; uncover during the day so pollinators can visit.

Spring

Mulch, feed if needed, and monitor blossom and shoots for disease.

Late spring

Thin crowded fruit after the main natural fruit drop and keep the root zone evenly moist.

Summer

Pick fruit when fully coloured, fragrant and slightly soft; protect ripening fruit from birds if necessary.

Summer after harvest

Prune on a dry day and remove diseased shoots and any shrivelled fruit.

Autumn

Clear fallen diseased leaves and fruit, and check that winter rain can drain freely.

• Train as a fan against a sunny, sheltered wall to improve ripening in cool-summer gardens.
• Use as a small orchard tree with room around the crown for light, airflow and harvesting.
• Place in an edible garden as a spring-flowering focal point with a summer fruit crop.
• Underplant beyond the clear, mulched trunk area with low flowering herbs that attract beneficial insects.

Garden styles it suits: Backyard orchard, Edible landscape, Potager (kitchen garden), Cottage garden, Mediterranean and Homestead.

Plant it with: Chives, Thyme, Sweet alyssum, Calendula and Yarrow.

Wildlife: Early flowers provide pollen and nectar for bees when weather permits flight. Birds and mammals eat ripe fruit; use wildlife-safe, taut netting if protecting the crop.

• Frost-damaged blossom and poor cropping: avoid frost pockets, choose later-flowering cultivars suited to your climate, and cover blossom during forecast frosts.
• Brown rot and blossom blight: remove infected fruit and dead blossom-bearing shoots, clear mummified fruit, and prune for good airflow.
• Bacterial canker: prune only in dry growing-season weather, avoid bark injuries, and cut affected branches back to healthy wood; severe trunk infection may require replacement.
• Aphids causing curled leaves and sticky honeydew: inspect young shoots, encourage natural predators, and use a strong water spray or a locally approved insecticidal soap when needed.

Kernels inside the stones, leaves and stems contain cyanogenic compounds and can cause serious or fatal poisoning in people, cats, dogs and horses if eaten. Wilted leaves are especially hazardous to livestock. Ripe fruit flesh is not known to be toxic, but remove stones because they also pose choking and intestinal blockage risks.

• Peach (Prunus persica)

  Peach has long, narrow leaves rather than broad, rounded apricot leaves; its flowers are usually a stronger pink.

• Japanese apricot (Prunus mume)

  Often grown for strongly fragrant winter flowers; its fruit is typically sour and used for preserves or pickling rather than eaten fresh.

• European plum (Prunus domestica)

  Plum fruit is usually smooth-skinned with a waxy bloom, while apricot fruit generally has a fine, velvety down.

The epithet armeniaca means 'Armenian', reflecting the fruit's historical association with Armenia rather than proving its original native range.

Propagation. Named cultivars are usually budded or grafted onto compatible rootstocks chosen for soil, climate and tree size. Seed-grown trees vary in fruit quality and may take several years to crop; they do not come true to the parent.

Accepted botanical name

Prunus armeniaca

In the US and Canada

Introduced in the lower 48 states.

Native range

China North-Central, China South-Central, Inner Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Kriti, Manchuria, Qinghai, Uzbekistan and Xinjiang.

Measured

Soil pH 7 to 7.5. Average height 410 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.