Aprium

Aprium fruits are small and round with red-blushed, orange skin. They are a hybrid fruit resulting from a cross between an apricot and a plum. The pollen from an apricot tree is used on a plum tree, so the seeds from the plum tree produce these delicious fruit. Botanists call these hybrids ‘interspecific’.

Aprium fruits are very sweet with bright orange, juicy flesh. The flavour is like an apricot with hints of raspberry and plum. The skin is smooth with a light fuzz. They are delicious if eaten fresh from the tree and can also be used in puddings and preserves. They are an excellent source of vitamins A and C, as well as calcium, iron and protein.

Developed in the 1980s, Aprium fruits are the result of a complex breeding programme that takes many years. Several different Aprium cultivars have been created since then using various parents. This offers a choice to growers of varieties that ripen at different times throughout the season and have subtly different flavours.

The botanical name for Aprium fruits is identified as Prunus armeniaca x Prunus salicina. They are roughly 75% apricot and 25% plum.

In the UK, they grow best in a sunny, sheltered position. They can also be trained against a wall. All varieties are self-fertile so it is not necessary to plant a pollination partner to get a good crop. Most varieties will ripen in late August or early September. The spring blossom is a very pretty addition to any garden.