1 / 4

Prunus mume

Japanese apricot

Rosaceae

Southern China, chiefly the Yangtze River basin; cultivated in Japan and Korea for more than 1,500 years

Attracts Pollinators Drought Tolerant Fragrant (strong)Container Friendly

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterMedium · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 6–9

Overview

Prunus mume is a deciduous tree in the Rosaceae reaching 15-25 feet (4.5-7.5 m) tall and about as wide, with a rounded crown and greyish-green bark that darkens and roughens with age. Flowering begins in January and runs into March, ahead of leaf expansion, with five-petalled blossoms 0.8-1 inch (2-2.5 cm) across in white, pink, or deep rose, carried singly or in pairs almost directly on the previous season wood. Scent is strong and carries 15-30 feet (4.5-9 m) in still air. Leaves follow in March and April: alternate, broadly ovate, 1.5-4 inches (4-10 cm) long, with an abruptly tapered tip and small marginal teeth. The fruit is a globose drupe 1-1.2 inches (2.5-3 cm) across, densely velvety, yellow-green flushed red on the sun side, ripening in June and July. Flesh is highly acidic and is salted, dried, or steeped rather than eaten fresh. Kernels contain amygdalin and release cyanide when crushed, causing poisoning in dogs, cats, horses, and people. Midwinter flowering exposes the buds to hard freezes, and a drop below 20 F (-7 C) after bud swell destroys the season bloom. Hardy in USDA zones 6-9.

Native Range

Prunus mume is native to the mountain forests and river valleys of southern China, chiefly the Yangtze basin in Sichuan, Hubei, and Yunnan, at 3,000-8,000 feet (900-2,400 m). It reached Japan and Korea more than 1,500 years ago through cultivation and has naturalised in parts of both. Plantings in the southeastern United States occasionally self-sow near old gardens.

Suggested Uses

Planted as a small specimen tree in lawns, courtyards, and mixed borders where the January to March bloom sits in view of a window or path. Used in bonsai, in trained fan and espalier forms against warm walls, and in orchard rows in Japan and China for fruit destined for salting and steeping. Fallen fruit stains paving and draws wasps in June and July, so seating areas set below the canopy carry a cleanup load.

How to Identify

Flowers sit almost directly against the twig on pedicels 0.04-0.1 inch (1-3 mm) long, so the branch appears sheathed in blossom rather than carrying stalked clusters. Twigs stay green through the first two seasons and turn greyish-brown by the third. Leaf blades are 1.5-4 inches (4-10 cm) long with a tail-like acuminate tip and 40-60 shallow marginal teeth. The drupe holds a dense coat of short hairs and a persistent style scar, separating it from P. armeniaca, whose fruit is nearly smooth and whose flowering falls four to eight weeks later.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height15' - 25'

Width/Spread15' - 25'

Reaches mature size in approximately 12 years

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~4 weeks

Winter Spring

Flowering runs from mid-January to early March in USDA zone 8, and from late February to late March in zone 6. Buds open over three to five weeks on a single tree, with individual blossoms holding five to eight days. Bloom occurs on wood grown the previous summer, so late-summer cutting removes the coming flowers. Temperatures below 20 F (-7 C) after buds swell blacken open blossoms within a day.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

white, pink, or deep rose

Foliage Description

dark green, turning yellow before leaf drop

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 6-10 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.0 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam sand clay

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

8-12 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Six to eight hours of direct sun daily carries the heaviest flowering; shaded trees flower along the outer canopy only. Soil is well-drained loam or sandy loam at pH 6.0-7.5, and standing water at the root crown brings on Phytophthora root rot within one or two seasons. Water use is about 1 inch (2.5 cm) per week during establishment, reducing to periodic deep irrigation in drought after year three. A spring application of balanced fertiliser at 0.1 pound of nitrogen per 100 square feet (50 g per 9 sq m) covers average soils. Peach tree borer, San Jose scale, aphids, and bacterial canker caused by Pseudomonas syringae occur across the southeastern United States. Trees in zones colder than 6 lose flower buds to midwinter freezes in most years.

Pruning

Cutting is done within four weeks of petal fall, since flower buds for the next season form on shoots produced from late spring onward. Thinning takes out crossing and inward-growing branches to open the crown, with cuts made back to a lateral rather than leaving stubs. Water sprouts arising after heavy cuts are removed at the base in summer. Trees held as bonsai or trained against walls are cut back to two or three buds per spur each spring.

Pruning Schedule

early springlate spring