Prunus dasycarpa ‘Tlor-Tsiran’ Called an apricot but it is actually a hybrid chance seedling of a cross between an apricot (Prunus armeniaca) and myrobalan plum (Prunus cerasifera). The origin of this fruit is mysterious and it remains rare in the nursery trade. We first encountered it on a tour of Highmoor Farms in Maine where Pat McManus shared some that she had dried. What a burst of flavor! Think plum-infused apricot hard candy! Tangy, sweet, satisfying and hard to stop eating—our local answer to dried mango. Ripened on the tree, the deep red-purple skin of this small 1" oval fragrant fruit has mild fuzz, and the flesh is crimson-orange.
Uncertain pollination requirements; yields can be modest and mixed, but worth the trial and wait. May be self-fruitful, but plant with plums and other apricots. White blooms in spring. The tree is very winter hardy but the fruit buds are Z6. Worth trialing in Z4-5 for those years when late frost is not an issue. Maine Grown.NEW! (2½-6' bare-root trees)
Items from our perennial plants warehouse ordered
on or before March 7 will ship around March 31
through late April, starting with warmer areas and finishing in
colder areas. Orders placed after March 7 will
ship around late April through early-to-mid May, in the order in
which they were received.
ships in spring
7409
Tlor Tsiran
Additional Information
Apricots Prunus armeniaca
Apricots are native to central Asia, cultivated there for about 4000 years. Downeast (coastal) Maine apricot grower and good friend Richard “Ozzie” Ossolinski wrote, “From what I saw during a recent road trip through the Stans, apricot ‘orchards’ hardly seem necessary…Wild trees are as prevalent there as spruces are here in Maine. Even in the most rugged mountain terrain apricot trees seem to have established themselves wherever a few teaspoons of soil exist near a trickle of water: really pretty amazing.”
The trees are only marginally adaptable to northern New England. Because their early blossoms are sensitive to cold spring weather, they are often planted with northern exposures to delay blooming. Large crops are possible but uncommon in Maine. The zone rating should be viewed as an approximation because much depends on your site. We are on the lookout for reports of hardy trees in Maine and other northern locations. Please let us know if you’ve had success. Plant 15–20' apart. Self-pollinating.
