Prunus armeniaca
| Prunus armeniaca | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 30' |
| Width: | 20' |
| Speed: | Moderate |
| Blooms: | Early Spring-Mid Spring |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Prunus armeniaca (common name: apricot)
Propagation: Seed - requires 2 - 3 months cold stratification and is best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe[1]. Sow stored seed in a cold frame as early in the year as possible[1]. Protect the seed from mice etc. The seed can be rather slow, sometimes taking 18 months to germinate[2]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. Grow them on in a greenhouse or cold frame for their first winter and plant them out in late spring or early summer of the following year.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood with a heel, July/August in a frame[3][1]. Difficult[2].
Softwood cuttings from strongly growing plants in spring to early summer in a frame[1]. Difficult.
Layering in spring.
Cultivation: Requires a well-drained moisture retentive fertile soil in a warm sunny position[3][1]. Succeeds in light shade but fruits better in a sunny position[1]. Thrives in a loamy soil, doing well on limestone[3]. Prefers some chalk in the soil but is apt to become chlorotic if too much is present[3]. Prefers a pH in the range 6.5 to 7.5[1]. Dislikes clay soils[4][5]. Intolerant of saline soils[1]. Trees drop their fruit buds if there is a summer drought[1].
The apricot is widely cultivated for its edible fruit in temperate areas that have long hot summers, there are many named varieties[6][1]. The tree is perfectly hardy in Britain but it usually flowers very early in the spring and the flowers are then liable to be destroyed by frosts[3]. It really requires a more continental climate (with its clearly defined seasons) than it gets in Britain. However, if given the benefit of a south or west facing wall and some protection from frosts when it is in flower, reasonable crops can usually be produced in southern England[7][8]. The plants are self-fertile[1], but hand pollination would be advisable since they are normally flowering before many pollinating insects are active.
In Britain apricots are usually grown on plum rootstocks, 'St. Julien A' is the most widely used[1]. The dwarfing rootstock 'Pixie' is also a possibility, but this must be double worked with 'St. Julien A' because it is incompatible with apricots[1].
Any pruning should be carried out in the summer to allow rapid healing and therefore less risk of infection[9].
Oats should not be grown near apricots because their roots have an antagonistic effect on the roots of the apricot[9]. Tomatoes and potatoes are also bad companions for apricots[9]. If nasturtiums (Tropaeoleum spp) are grown under apricots they will make the fruit less palatable to insects, though this is not detectable by the human palate[9].
Most members of this genus are shallow-rooted and will produce suckers if the roots are damaged[10].
Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[1].
Range: E. Asia - N. China, Mongolia.
Habitat: Most trees growing apparently wild have escaped from cultivation but there are pure stands of the trees in Tibet on mountain slopes in sparse forests at elevations of 700 - 3000 metres[11].
Edibility: Fruit - raw, cooked or dried for later use[7][12][13][14]. The best forms are soft and juicy with a delicious rich flavour[K]. Wild trees in the Himalayas yield about 47.5kg of fruit per year[15].The fruit of the wild form contains about 6.3% sugars, 0.7% protein, 2.5% ash, 2.5% pectin. There is about 10mg vitamin C per 100g of pulp[15]. The fruit is about 5cm in diameter and contains one large seed[1].
Seed - raw or cooked[6]. Bitter seeds should be eaten in strict moderation, but sweet ones can be eaten freely[16]. The bitter seeds can be used as a substitute for bitter almonds in making marzipan etc[17].
An edible gum is obtained from the trunk[18].
The seed contains up to 50% of an edible semi-drying oil[17][19][5][6].
Medicinal: Apricot fruits are nutritious, cleansing and mildly laxative[254. They are a valuable addition to the diet working gently to improve overall health.
Antipyretic, antiseptic, emetic, ophthalmic[15].
The flowers are tonic, promoting fecundity in women[20].
The bark is astringent[21]. The inner bark and/or the root are used for treating poisoning caused by eating bitter almond and apricot seeds (which contain hydrogen cyanide)[20]. Another report says that a decoction of the outer bark is used to neutralize the effects of hydrogen cyanide[10]. The decoction is also used to soothe inflamed and irritated skin conditions[21].
The seed is analgesic, anthelmintic, antiasthmatic, antispasmodic, antitussive, demulcent, emollient, expectorant, pectoral, sedative and vulnerary[22][20]. It is used in the treatment of asthma, coughs, acute or chronic bronchitis and constipation[22][23].
The seed contains 'laetrile', a substance that has also been called vitamin B17[20]. This has been claimed to have a positive effect in the treatment of cancer, but there does not at present seem to be much evidence to support this[K]. The pure substance is almost harmless, but on hydrolysis it yields hydrocyanic acid, a very rapidly acting poison - it should thus be treated with caution[20]. In small amounts this exceedingly poisonous compound stimulates respiration, improves digestion and gives a sense of well-being[10].
Usage: An edible semi-drying oil is obtained from the seed[19]. Used for lighting[15]. The oil has a softening effect on the skin and so it is used in perfumery and cosmetics, and also in pharmaceuticals[17][5].
A green dye can be obtained from the leaves[24].
A dark grey to green dye can be obtained from the fruit[24].
Wood - handsome, hard, durable. Agricultural implements etc[25][15].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Mid Summer-Early Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: This species produces hydrogen cyanide, a poison that gives almonds their characteristic flavour. This toxin is found mainly in the leaves and seed and is readily detected by its bitter taste. Usually present in too small a quantity to do any harm, any ve
Also Known As: Armeniaca vulgaris.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Dirr, Michael and Charles Heuser. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press, 1987.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ Thompson, Robert. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son, 1878.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Grey-Wilson, Christopher and Victoria Matthews. Gardening on Walls. Collins, 1983.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Allardice, Pamela. A-Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers, 1993.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ Flora of China. 1994.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Simmons, Alan. Growing Unusual Fruit. David and Charles, 1972.
- ↑ Nicholson, Barbara and Stephen Harrison. The Oxford Book of Food Plants. Oxford University Press, 1975.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 Parmar, Chiranjit. Wild Fruits of the Sub-Himalayan Region. Kalyani Publishers, 1982.
- ↑ Corbetta, Francisco. The COmplete Book of Fruits and Vegetables. 1985.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Howes, Frank. Vegetable Gums and Resins. Chronica Botanica, 1949.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Schery. Robert. Plants for Man. Prentice Hall, 1972.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Chevallier, Andrew. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Dorling Kindersley, 1996.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Yeung, Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, 1985.
- ↑ Medicinal Plants in the Republic of Korea. World Health Organisation, 1998.
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 Grae, Ida. Nature's Colors. MacMillan Publishing, 1974.
- ↑ Gamble, James. A Manual of Indian Timbers. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh, 1972.