Flowering apricot, prunus mume, is an old-fashioned tree that is
regaining popularity. The largest trees are less than 20 feet tall
and wide.
Name/characteristics
Flowering apricot, prunus mume, is an old-fashioned tree that is regaining popularity. The largest trees are less than 20 feet tall and wide. The pink, white or red flowers bloom on bare stems in late winter or very early spring. Deciduous three- or four-inch long leaves replace blooms. The inch wide green or yellow fruit is unpalatable unless pickled.
where to plant
A small, sunny garden is a good place for flowering apricot. It fits nicely in a tight spot where a typical shade tree would be too large. It becomes a focal point wherever it ends up. However, flowering apricot should not be used as a street tree. The bark on the trunk is susceptible to ‘sun scald’ caused by reflected glare from pavement.
how to care for
Aggressive pruning will maximize bloom. After growing unpruned through the first growing season, all new branches can be pruned back to six- to 12-inch stubs after bloom. This will cause vigorous shoot growth that will bloom profusely the following winter. After bloom, about half of these shoots likewise should be pruned back to stubs, leaving the other half for the following year so that the process can be repeated annually.
where to purchase
Flowering apricot can be found at Johnson Garden Center of Morgan Hill (408-779-7171), Paidle Gardens and Accents of Hollister (831-636-7281) and can sometimes be found bare-root at nurseries that sell bare-root plants this time of year.
Tony Tomeo is a consulting horticulturist and arborist for New Image Landscape of Fremont. His weekly radio broadcast, “New Image Garden Report,” can be heard at 8:10am on Friday mornings on KSCO, 1080 AM of Santa Cruz. Tony can be reached at (888) 226-9191 or
tt****@ne***************.com
.
