Tree · Rosaceae
Apricot
Prunus armeniaca
Set it in full sun, sharp drainage, and a spot sheltered from late frost, and an apricot tree hands you sweet golden fruit by early summer.
Full sun
Every 7–14 days
USDA 5–8
15–20 ft · 4.6–6.1 m
Overview
Few trees stir as early as an apricot, which often breaks into bloom while the rest of the garden still looks dormant. A member of the rose family that keeps company with plums and cherries, it carries the memory of the cold, dry highlands of central Asia in its bones. The lineage tells in its habits: it brushes off hard winter cold down to -13°F (-25°C) yet asks for long, warm, sunny summers before the fruit will ripen.
That early flush is at once the tree's charm and its risk. Blooms that unfurl in late winter get first claim on the pollinators, yet they also stand square in the path of a late frost that can erase a season's crop in a single cold night. Where the tree stands, and which variety fills the spot, shapes how often the loss arrives.
Offer an apricot deep, well-drained soil and the room to stretch, and it matures into a generous, open-headed presence in the garden. The fruit arrives early, sweet and abundant enough to eat fresh, dry, or put up for the pantry. The flesh is yours to enjoy, yet the pits and leaves are not for pets or livestock, so settle on where the prunings and dropped stones will go.
Care
The short version: full sun, deep well-drained loam, and a frost-safe corner clear of the low pockets where cold air gathers. Soak the tree deeply as it settles in and as the fruit swells, feed it in early spring, and save the pruning for dry summer weather to keep disease in check.
Light
Apricots ask for full sun, and the more they get the better, both to ripen sweet fruit and to stay sound. A site that stays open to the sky all day also dries the canopy quickly after rain, which keeps the fungal diseases that trouble this tree at arm's length.
Water
Give the tree a deep, steady drink as a young specimen settles in and again as the fruit swells, soaking the root zone every 7 to 14 days rather than offering frequent light sips. A mature apricot copes with drought well enough, yet a thorough watering through a dry summer still rewards you with better fruit.
Soil
Set it in deep, well-drained loam, since waterlogged roots are the fastest path to losing this tree. A soil pH between 6.0 and 7.0 suits it well, and sharp drainage counts for far more than rich ground.
Temperature
This is a hardy tree across a broad span, comfortable from roughly -13°F to 95°F (-25°C to 35°C). Deep winter cold is seldom the issue; the genuine risk is an early bloom running into a late spring frost.
Humidity
An apricot is content in average humidity around 40% to 70%. The condition to steer away from is damp, still air, since crowded wet foliage is precisely the setting brown rot and canker thrive in.
Feeding
Feed just once in early spring with a balanced nitrogen fertilizer to power the season's fresh growth. A single seasonal feeding is enough, and heaping on extra nitrogen only produces soft, disease-prone wood.
Pruning
Cut in late summer or dry weather, never in cool, wet spells, to keep bacterial canker and Eutypa from settling into fresh wounds. Shape the tree to an open center so light and air reach right into the heart of the canopy.
Repotting
An apricot is a full-size tree meant for the open ground, so it is rarely potted at all. Plant it once in a well-chosen spot and let it settle in for the long run.
Size & spacing
A standard apricot reaches 15 to 20 feet (4.6 to 6 m) tall and spreads roughly 12 to 20 feet (3.7 to 6 m) across. Allow it that much open room so the canopy stays airy and the roots have space to travel.
When to plant
Apricots keep an early calendar. Plant bare-root trees during dormancy in late winter to early spring, expect blossom that opens almost before winter has loosened its grip, and gather the fruit from early to midsummer.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Plant: Plant bare-root trees during dormancy in late winter to early spring.
- Harvest: Blooms very early, late winter to early spring; fruit ripens early to midsummer.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 5–8
Temperature: down to -29°C
Troubleshooting
Most apricot worries gather on the blossoms and fruit, and the harshest of them ride in on cold or wet spring weather. Match what you notice below to its cause, then move early while it still counts.
Blossoms and fruit going brown and soft under a tan spore haze
What you are seeing is brown rot, a Monilinia fungus that settles in over a wet spring and ruins blossom and fruit alike. Strip away every mummified fruit so it cannot pass spores into next season, open the canopy with pruning so the air dries it quickly, and reach for a fungicide at bloom whenever the weather stays damp.
Fix:
- Remove mummified fruit, prune for airflow, and apply fungicide at bloom
Bark sinking into cankers that weep amber gum as limbs fade
Those oozing wounds signal bacterial canker, the work of Pseudomonas syringae slipping in through injuries during cool, damp spells. Save your pruning for dry summer days so the cuts seal cleanly, handle the tree gently to spare it fresh wounds, and take out infected wood well below the canker line.
Fix:
- Prune only in dry summer weather, avoid injuries, and remove infected wood
Blossoms turning black and refusing to set fruit
Because apricots flower so early, a late frost can catch the open blooms and blacken them overnight, and a frozen flower will set nothing. Choose a north-facing slope where the tree stirs a little later, keep it clear of low frost pockets where chilled air pools, and lean toward later-blooming cultivars where the spring runs unpredictable.
Fix:
- Site on a north-facing slope, avoid frost pockets, and choose later-blooming cultivars
Little crescent scars on fruit that falls before its time
Those faint crescent marks paired with early drop are the calling card of the plum curculio, a weevil whose larvae tunnel and feed inside the growing fruit. Keep the ground beneath the tree free of fallen fruit to interrupt its cycle, look the tree over often, and aim controls at petal fall, the moment the adults are laying.
Fix:
- Practice sanitation and monitor, applying controls at petal fall
Toxicity
This is a tree to keep a watchful eye on around animals. Its stems, leaves, and seeds hold cyanogenic glycosides that release cyanide, and a swallowed pit can block an animal's gut on top of that. The ripe flesh is safe for people, but keep prunings, fallen leaves, and discarded stones well clear of pets and livestock.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Mild
A cat that nibbles the leaves, stems, or a split seed might drool, vomit, or show widened pupils. Most cats never eat enough to reach a serious dose, but it still pays to keep the trimmings somewhere they can't reach.
Dogs Mild
If a dog chews the foliage or a seed, look for drooling, vomiting, or strained breathing. The greater worry is a swallowed pit, which can wedge in the gut and block it.
Horses Moderate
Wilted leaves and stems carry the most cyanide, which makes them the true hazard. A poisoned horse labors to breathe, grows weak, and shows bright red gums, so prunings have no place in or near the paddock.
Rabbits Toxic
The leaves and stems hold cyanogenic compounds that a small rabbit simply cannot handle. Keep every part of the tree off its plate and stick to safe greens instead.
Livestock Toxic
Cattle, sheep, and goats react sharply to the cyanide in wilted apricot leaves, and a hungry animal can swallow a fatal amount in moments. Fence the stock well clear of the tree and gather any fallen branches after a storm or a pruning session.
Birds Toxic
Seeds and foliage pose a real threat to birds, where even a trace of cyanide carries weight in such a small body. Share only the ripe flesh, never the pit or the leaves.
People Caution
The ripe flesh makes fine eating and is safe, but the kernel inside the pit holds cyanide and should never be cracked open and eaten. Spit the stones out and keep them away from children.
Keep pruned twigs, leaves, and discarded pits away from pets and livestock.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
Varieties
A wide field of apricot varieties exists, chosen for flavor, hardiness, or how well they take to drying. These few are worth knowing by name.
Moorpark
A heritage English selection that ripens late and pays back the patience with large, deeply flavored fruit.
Blenheim (Royal)
The signature California apricot, loved for the table and equally suited to drying.
Tilton
A reliable choice for canning and drying that shrugs off a light frost better than most.
Goldcot
A cold-hardy variety raised for chillier regions, bearing firm golden fruit.
How to propagate
Apricots almost always arrive as grafted trees rather than seedlings, because a seed-grown tree will not echo its parent. Here is how each route works and what it leaves you with.
GraftingModerate
Almost every apricot starts as a graft, typically T-budded onto a compatible rootstock. That is how growers secure fruit true to the variety while holding the tree's size and vigor in line.
SeedModerate
Seed will sprout once it has had a stretch of cold stratification, yet the seedlings stray from the parent. Because of that, apricot seed is mostly raised to produce rootstock rather than fruiting trees.
Myths
Every part of an apricot is poisonous.
The ripe flesh is good to eat and entirely safe. The cyanide lives in the seeds, pits, leaves, and stems, never in the fruit you slice and savor.