Prunus mandshurica Seeds | Tree Mandchurian Apricot
LATIN NAME: Prunus mandshurica
COMMON NAME: Manchurian Apricot
Plant Profile
Manchurian Apricot (Prunus mandshurica) is a deciduous tree, native to central Asia, mandchurian apricot is a small, rounded tree reaching 15 to 20 feet in height. It likes sun, and deep, well-drained soil. The flowering period doubles as a feeding season for bees and other pollinators. These traits together are what have kept the plant in gardens for so long.
Science & Biotechnology
Research touching on Prunus mandshurica ranges from the botany of the Prunus group to practical horticulture, including seed handling, propagation and the selection of superior forms. Early pink bloom of the Manchurian apricot gives it a recognised place in research on cold-hardy apricots of great stone-fruit group, and mandshurica species appears in studies of pre-leaf flowering and cold-hardy breeding genes. Little about its garden performance is mysterious; it has been grown and observed for a very long time.
Uses & Benefits
Gardeners value Manchurian Apricot for its ornamental character, and the plant also fits naturally into herb, vegetable and cutting gardens. In cold garden, the Manchurian apricot flushes early-spring garden with pink bloom. Flowers open before leaves, yellow fruits serve jams and sweet kernels of old kitchens, and tree makes fine rootstock and the specimen. It thrives in deep, well-drained, sunny ground. Establishment is uncomplicated, and afterwards ordinary care suffices.
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
Manchurian Apricot is one of those generous plants that come along well from seed. 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
Being a deciduous tree, it asks for a permanent spot and repays it yearly. From then on, routine care is all that is required.
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