Prunus armeniaca Seeds | Chinese Apricot
LATIN NAME: Prunus armeniaca
COMMON NAME: Chinese Apricot
Plant Profile
Chinese Apricot (Prunus armeniaca) is a tree in the rose family. Apricot blushes round, golden fruits along short, sturdy branches, fine, toothed leaves around them, and the whole tree stands in the warm, fruity look of the sunny orchard. It is a tree of open, sunny, deep, rich, moist, well-drained ground. In combination, these characteristics make a persuasive case for growing it.
Science & Biotechnology
The apricot’s kernel contains amygdalin, the cyanogenic glycoside notorious in its semi-purified form as ‘laetrile’ — promoted for cancer, shown ineffective in the Mayo Clinic trials, and banned in the United States; several cases of cyanide poisoning from kernel consumption are on record. Regulatory limits on bitter apricot kernels exist in the EU and elsewhere. The fruit itself is blameless and nutritious, rich in beta-carotene; the seed’s chemistry is simply a reminder that ‘natural’ and ‘safe’ are independent variables, and that seed chemistry often exists to stop exactly what we are doing — eating it.
Within the rose family, Prunus armeniaca is of continuing interest to researchers working on plant diversity, seed biology and the selection of improved garden forms. Interest from collectors and breeders has never lapsed, and good seed continues to circulate.
Uses & Benefits
Chinese Apricot works well in borders, containers and dedicated beds. Apricot is a warm, useful tree of sunny orchard and study collection. It is a warm, useful tree of open, sunny, deep, rich, moist, well-drained garden. Apricot seeds start well in a gritty, loamy soil kept moist in a bright, cool place. Given the right start, it carries on with minimal intervention.
The rose family’s great fruit genus gives plums, cherries, peaches, apricots and almonds, all carotenoid- and polyphenol-rich; in Chinese medicine the kernels and fruits, from Xing Ren for coughs to Yu Li Ren for regularity, are classical herbs, always processed to manage their cyanogenic compounds.
Growing from Seed
Sow fresh seed of Chinese Apricot under ordinary good conditions. Sow thinly on the surface of a loose, well-drained seed compost, cover lightly, water in gently and keep the tray in a sunny spot with even moisture. Transplant the sturdiest seedlings to their permanent spots and let them develop without disturbance.
Our Take
Chinese Apricot has real presence in the garden without demanding much in return. Fresh seed sown into evenly moist compost is most of the battle won.
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