APRICOT

(Prunus armeniaca), stone fruit of the family Rosaceae that is cultivated throughout the temperate regions of the world. Apricots are eaten fresh or cooked and are preserved by canning or drying. The fruit is also widely made into jam and is often used to flavour liqueurs. Apricot trees are large and spreading with broad, ovate leaves that have pointed tips. The leaves are bright green in colour and are held erect on the twigs. The flowers are white in full bloom and borne singly or doubly at a node on very short stems. The apricot sets fruit after self-pollination of its blossoms. The pit, or stone, is large, flat, and smooth. The fruit is nearly smooth, round to oblong in some varieties, somewhat flattened, and in general more like the peach in shape, but with little to no hairiness when ripe. Its flesh is typically a rich yellow to yellowish orange. The kernels of some varieties are sweet, though they are poisonous until roasted. Native to China, the apricot is cultivated in all of Central and Southeast Asia and in parts of southern Europe and North Africa. It was doubtless among the fruits brought into southern California early in the 18th century by Spanish missionaries. The American Pomological Society lists 11 varieties grown in the United States in 1879. Apricots are propagated by budding on peach or apricot rootstocks, and the peach, plum, and apricot may be readily intergrafted. The tree succeeds in a well-drained loamy soil, preferably light rather than heavy. Most varieties withstand winter cold as well as peaches, but the blossom buds, opening earlier than those of the peach, are frequently killed by late freezes. The trees are quite drought-resistant and under favourable growing conditions are long-lived, some living 100 years or longer. The leading country in apricot production is Spain. Other important producers are Iran, Syria, the United States, France, and Italy. Apricots are a good source of vitamin A and are high in natural-sugar content. Dried apricots are an excellent source of iron.