Prunus sibirica Seeds | Siberian Apricot
LATIN NAME: Prunus sibirica
COMMON NAME: Siberian Apricot
Plant Profile
Prunus sibirica, commonly known as Siberian Apricot, is a hardy, deciduous tree. It grows steadily into broad, bushy form, and it stands intense cold and drought well. It likes sun, and deep, well-drained soil. Its appeal to pollinating insects adds a second, ecological layer to its ornamental one. These traits together are what have kept the plant in gardens for so long.
Science & Biotechnology
Seed science, comparative botany and horticultural selection all touch on Prunus sibirica, a representative of the Prunus group with clear practical value. Siberian apricot is a familiar name in cold-climate apricot breeding trials, and sibirica species appears in studies of frost-resistant stone fruits and early-bloom risk. Little about its garden performance is mysterious; it has been grown and observed for a very long time.
Uses & Benefits
Gardeners value Siberian Apricot for its ornamental character, and the plant also fits naturally into herb, vegetable and cutting gardens. On dry northern hillsides, the Siberian apricot opens early blossom into the last of the cold. Orange fruits dry on branches, kernels serve traditional recipes, and tree makes fine rootstock, shelter-belt tree and the ornamental. It does best in deep, well-drained, sunny ground. It takes hold quickly and asks for no special treatment from then on.
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
Siberian Apricot grows readily from seed. Fill a pot with a light seed compost, sow evenly on the surface, cover thinly and stand it somewhere warm, bright and evenly moist. Prick the seedlings out once they are large enough to handle, grow them on in bright light, and plant out when conditions allow.
Our Take
As a hardy, deciduous tree, it settles into a routine quickly once established. Siberian Apricot is the kind of plant that rewards a permanent spot. After establishment, care settles into an easy routine.
Related Reading
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