What Is a Prunus Armeniaca Seed?

Description

• Apricots are a small, round fruit, approximately 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 inches in diameter, with a yellow-orange color and an occasional reddish blush. Apricots grow on medium-sized trees with spreading branches. With pruning, most apricot trees are kept around 12 feet tall, though they can grow as tall as 45 feet. The leaves are approximately 3 inches wide with pointed ends and display a pretty color in the fall before the leaves drop. Apricot trees flower early in the spring, producing white flowers with five petals. The flowers typically blossom on one-year-old wood growths.

Cultivars

• Most common cultivars are self-pollinating, meaning you only need one apricot tree to successfully produce fruit, though a few require insects such as honey bees to assist in pollination. The "Tomcot," "Orangered," "Early Blush" and "Goldrich" varieties are the earliest bloomers and produce harvests as early as mid-June. "Rival," "Goldbar," "Goldstrike" and "Riland" are typically ready for harvest in early to mid-July, followed by "Puget Gold," "Sun-glo," "Harcot" and "Perfection" in mid- to late July. Choose varieties such as "Tilton," "Harglow," "Goldcot" or "Royal" if you prefer a late harvest in late July to early August.

Growing Conditions

• Because apricot trees blossom so early, they are particularly sensitive to frost and prefer a Mediterranean climate with deep, well-drained soil. They grow and produce best when grafted onto a healthy rootstock. Nurseries typically use other apricot seedlings or peach seedlings for rootstock. Apricot trees begin to produce fruit when they are two years old, though they do not reach full production levels until they are three to five years old. Pick apricots when they feel firm, and store them in a cold location.

Controversy

• Some cosmetics, such as face scrubs and body washes, contain apricot seed powder. Apricot seeds are also prevalent in traditional Chinese medicine as cures for respiratory conditions and constipation. Others have suggested apricot seeds as a cure for cancer. These uses are controversial, however, because apricot seeds contain the vitamin B-17, which reacts in our bodies to produce the highly toxic cyanide. The twigs, leaves and seeds of the apricot tree are all highly toxic and are fatal in some cases.