Japanese apricot

Japanese apricot: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Small tree or large shrub 4–6 m tall and 4–5 m wide, with a rounded, rather loose crown and green twigs.

Flower

Five petals, 2–3 cm, white to pink or red, single or double; strongly scented, on bare branches in February–March.

Leaves

Oval, 4–8 cm, toothed, fresh green; they appear only after flowering.

Fruit

Small, round fruit of 2–3 cm, yellow-green and very sour. Here they do not always set.

Roots

Shallow to moderately deep; avoid digging in the root zone.

Flowering: February–March · Harvest and fruit: June–July · Plants: March–April and October–December · Pruning: March–April

Why grow it?

• Flowers as early as February–March, when the garden is still bare, with a lovely, spicy scent.
• The blossom is valuable for early bees and other insects on mild days.
• A small tree: fits a small garden, can be fan-trained against a wall or grown in a large pot.
• Attractive green twigs and a graceful shape give character even in winter.
• Gains charm with age: older trees develop a gnarled, picturesque trunk.

Japanese apricot: where does it grow best?

• Full sun, preferably against a sunny, sheltered wall, so that late frost damages the blossom less.
• Well-drained sandy, loamy or clay soil, acid to chalky; no waterlogged ground.
• Normal moisture; the soil should not stay wet for long or dry out completely.
• Sheltered from cold wind. Allow 4–5 m of space as a free-standing tree, or 3–4 m of width as a fan-trained tree.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Normal

Size

6 m tall, 5 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -20 °C)

Goes well with

• Winter jasmine: Also flowers in winter, with yellow flowers on green stems.
• Snowdrop: A white carpet under the flowering branches.
• Winter heath: Flowers at the same time in pink and white and draws the same early bees.
• Honeysuckle: A scented climber on the same wall for summer.

Japanese apricot: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and October–December.

1. Plant in March–April or in October–December, as long as the soil is neither frozen nor waterlogged.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the rootball and just as deep. Loosen the sides and bottom with the spade.
3. Set the tree at the same depth as it stood in the nursery; keep any graft union well above the soil.
4. Backfill, firm lightly, tie the trunk to a stake and give it a generous watering.
5. Spread compost or bark around the base, not against the trunk. Against a wall: plant 20–30 cm away and stretch wires.

Care

Water

In the first and second year, water generously once a week in dry weather, especially in spring and in dry summers. After that it usually manages by itself.

Feeding

In spring after flowering, a little compost or an organic fertiliser for fruit trees. Not too much nitrogen.

Mulching

A layer of compost or bark in spring keeps the soil moist and suppresses weeds.

Protecting the blossom

When frost threatens during flowering, drape horticultural fleece over the branches and remove it by day so insects can reach the flowers.

Support

Tie a fan-trained tree to wires or trellis each year; keep the ties loose so the branches can thicken.

Tip: Plant it against a sunny, sheltered wall and drape fleece over the branches on frosty nights during flowering. Always prune straight after flowering.

Japanese apricot: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March–April.

When: Straight after flowering, in March–April, in dry weather.

How:

• Cut the flowered shoots back to 2–3 buds: the new shoots will carry next year’s flowers.
• Remove dead, diseased and crossing branches back to the trunk or a side branch.
• Thin the crown so air and light can enter; remove a few old branches if needed.
• On a fan-trained tree: cut back or tie in shoots that grow away from the wall.

Caution: Do not prune in winter or in cold, wet weather: that gives fungi such as silver leaf and bacterial canker a chance. Prune straight after flowering.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Grafting

Cultivars are grafted by nurseries onto a Prunus rootstock. For the home gardener this is a job for the experienced: buy a grafted tree instead.

Seed

Sow the stones outdoors in autumn, or chill them moist in the fridge for a few weeks first and sow in spring. Seedlings vary a lot and flower only after several years.

Japanese apricot: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −20 °C.

• Hardy to about −20 °C; the flower buds can freeze in severe or late frost.
• Against a sunny wall it starts early and is best protected from the cold.
• In a pot: put it in a sheltered spot, wrap the pot in hessian and water occasionally in dry, frost-free weather.

Diseases and pests

• Frost damage: Brown, wilted flowers or buds after late frost. Plant against a wall, use fleece in frost and cut away dead parts after flowering.
• Blossom wilt: Flowers and twigs wilt and turn brown, especially in wet weather during flowering. Cut affected wood back into healthy wood and dispose of it.
• Gumming: Gum or resin oozing from branches or trunk, often with bacterial canker or stress. Cut affected branches away in dry weather and avoid pruning in winter.
• Aphids: Curled, sticky shoots in May–June. Spray off with water or let ladybirds do their work.

Through the year

• February: Flowering begins. Protect the blossom with fleece in frost.
• March: Flowering. Prune after flowering. Plant.
• April: Prune after flowering. Give compost. Plant.
• May: Water young trees. Apply mulch. Watch for aphids.
• June: Water in dry weather. Watch for aphids.
• July: Water in dry weather.
• August: Water young trees.
• October: Plant. The leaves change colour and fall.
• November: Plant. Clear fallen leaves.
• December: Plant. Prepare fleece for the flowering season.

Edible and useful

Fruit (June–July)

Japanese apricot flowers as early as February and March, when few bees are flying and night frost can destroy the blossom: here it does not fruit every year, and many varieties crop better with a second tree flowering at the same time nearby. If there are fruits, pick them in June and July. For umeshu, a Japanese liqueur, pick them in June, when they are full-sized, green and still hard; for umeboshi, salted and sun-dried fruits, let them ripen until they turn yellow, soften a little and smell of apricot. Never eat them raw: they are then very sour and bitter, and unripe fruits are not safe raw. Pick them by hand and do not let them drop: bruised fruits go mouldy.

Storing

Process the fruits within a day or two: green fruits soon turn yellow and develop brown spots. Umeshu keeps for years in a sealed bottle in a cool, dark place; umeboshi keep for years in a sealed glass jar and mellow over time. The salty juice they release, umezu, keeps in a bottle in the fridge.

Caution: Never eat the fruits raw, and certainly not unripe: unripe fruits and above all the stones contain amygdalin, which can release hydrogen cyanide in the body. Only after preserving in salt (umeboshi) or in alcohol (umeshu) are they eaten or drunk, as in Japan. Never eat the stone: do not break, crack or bite it, and only use sound fruits without cracks or bruises. Keep unripe fruits away from children and pets. Umeshu contains alcohol: drink it in moderation, and not when pregnant or before driving; not for children. Umeboshi are very salty: eat one at a time. Do not use less salt than in the recipe, or they will go mouldy, and throw everything away if you see mould.

Eating and using is at your own risk: see the terms of use.

Recipes

• Umeshu (Japanese plum liqueur) (Liqueur · ± 2.5 litres · 1 hr + at least 3 months steeping)
• Umeboshi (salted Japanese apricots) (Other · ± 750 g · 1 hr + 4 weeks salting + 3 days drying)

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• In China the plum blossom is a symbol of resilience, because it flowers in the middle of winter; it is one of the ‘three friends of winter’ with pine and bamboo.
• In Japan the sour fruit is pickled as umeboshi or made into a liqueur, umeshu.
• Despite its English name it is not an apricot, although it is closely related to it.