Apricot
Prunus armeniaca
A cultivated tree with early spring flowers and small yellow-orange stone fruits. The flesh is eaten fresh, dried or cooked. Local fruiting is less reliable than many other orchard fruits because early flowers are vulnerable to frost.
Native range
Central and eastern Asia; cultivated widely. The species' early domestication history is complex.
Typical season
Broad Ontario midsummer reference; flowering frost damage can leave an individual tree without a crop.
Identification
Compare rounded toothed leaves, flowers and fruit with Prunus armeniaca. Discard stones and kernels; do not eat kernels or use leaves and twigs as food. A broad apricot label may need cultivar or species review.