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Fruit tree

Apricot

Prunus armeniaca

A fast-growing stone fruit that crops heavily in Adelaide's warm, dry summers, with fruit from late spring into early summer. Most common varieties are self-fertile, so one tree is enough. The one thing to get right: prune only in late summer or autumn in dry weather, as winter pruning invites gummosis and silver leaf.

When to plant where you live

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Planting times for other areas

Varieties (4)

  • Dwarf varieties (e.g. Aprigold)Natural dwarf for large pots or small yards; easier to net
  • EarlicotEarly-ripening type that beats the worst of the summer heat and fruit fly pressure
  • MoorparkOld favourite with rich flavour; heavy cropper for fresh eating, drying and jam; mid-season
  • TrevattLong-time Australian drying and canning variety; reliable in warm inland and Adelaide conditions

Neighbours

Grows well with

From seed to plate

  1. Plant

    500 cm apart. Full sun.

  2. Water

    Deep water in spring and summer.

  3. Feed

    Balanced feed in spring.

  4. Pick

    Pick when it gives slightly.

Good to know

  • Thin fruit to a hand-width apart when marble-sized to avoid broken branches and small fruit
  • Water deeply through spring as fruit swells; a dry spring gives small fruit
  • Plant in free-draining soil; apricots dislike wet feet in winter

Common problems

  • Gummosis and bacterial canker (oozing sap, dieback)prune only in dry weather after harvest, avoid wounding the trunk, cut out dead wood to clean tissue
  • Brown rot (fruit rots on the tree)remove mummified fruit, thin crowded fruit, improve airflow; in wet springs use a registered fungicide following its label directions
  • Shot hole (small holes in leaves)rake fallen leaves, prune for airflow; spray at leaf fall with a registered product following label directions if severe
  • Birds and fruit flynet early, pick fruit as it colours and dispose of fallen fruit

If you use a garden chemical, follow the label exactly. Try organic options first, and ask the community or Plant Doctor if you're unsure.

Ask the garden helper about apricotAny question, answered from the plant libraryHow others are growing apricotQuestions, tips and harvests from the community

Guides

Where this information comes from
  • ABC Gardening Australia fact sheets (growing, medium confidence)
  • ABC Gardening Australia: Fruit Guide (growing, medium confidence, checked 27 Oct 2026)
  • Primary Industries and Regions SA (PIRSA) (planting time, medium confidence)
  • Poisons information centre plant guidance (Australia) (toxicity, low confidence)
  • ASPCA Animal Poison Control: Apricot (toxicity, high confidence, checked 27 Oct 2026)

Reviewed by AI cross-check (Claude), not a horticulturist on 27 Oct 2026. Version 2.