Autumn Royal Apricot Prunus armeniaca 'Autumn Royal' Height: 15 feet Spread: 15 feet
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Hardiness Zone: 7a Description: An attractive fruit tree with showy pink flowers in spring and pale orange fruit that ripens late in the season; excellent for fresh eating, canning, or drying; needs full sun, and a pollinator; flowers can be damaged by a late spring frost Edible Qualities Autumn Royal Apricot is a small tree that is typically grown for its edible qualities. It produces orange round fruit (technically 'drupes') with yellow overtones and orange flesh which are usually ready for picking in late summer. Note that the fruits have hard inedible pits inside which must be removed before eating or processing. The fruits have a sweet taste and a firm texture. The fruit are most often used in the following ways: Features & Attributes Autumn Royal Apricot is clothed in stunning clusters of fragrant shell pink flowers along the branches in early spring before the leaves. It has green deciduous foliage. The pointy leaves turn yellow in fall. The fruits are showy orange drupes with yellow overtones, which are carried in abundance in late summer. The fruit can be messy if allowed to drop on the lawn or walkways, and may require occasional clean-up. This is a deciduous tree with a more or less rounded form. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition. This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration; Aside from its primary use as an edible, Autumn Royal Apricot is sutiable for the following landscape applications; Planting & Growing Autumn Royal Apricot will grow to be about 15 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 15 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 2 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 50 years or more. This is a self-pollinating variety, so it doesn't require a second plant nearby to set fruit. This tree is typically grown in a designated area of the yard because of its mature size and spread. It should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.
