Tropical Plant "Apricot"
Prunus armeniaca

Characteristics - The apricot is fruit bearer, native to northern China and Siberia, initially disseminated to the West from Asia and Armenia, where it had been cultivated for several centuries BC, and was taken to Europe, by the Romans. In Brazil, it was recently introduced in the the high altitude regions of the south, its cultivation is still experimental. It is a deciduous tree, 5-9 m tall with a rounded crown, needing cold to develop fruit. Leaves simple, chartaceous, glabrous, 5-12 cm long. Flowers solitary, androgynous and self compatible; they form in August, before the new foliage emerges. Fruits globose or oblong, with a ve-lutinous surface, a carnose pulp with a sweet or acidic flavor, depending on the cultivar; they mature in the summer.

Uses - The fruits are consumed fresh or dried, as sweets, jellies and as an ingredient in savory dishes.

Propagation - Propagated by seeds.