Prunus armeniaca 'Somo' (F)

Fruit Edible Trees

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A compact, self-fertile apricot to around 3m in height, with green leaves similar to the Sakura cherry trees. White flowers in spring are followed by medium-sized, spherical to oval sweet, juicy and aromatic dark orange fruits with a red spotted flush which are ready for harvesting around June to July. A great, hardy variety for pots and containers

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Clay, Loam, Sand

Size

Time to Maturity: 5–10 years

Growing Conditions

Clay Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained
pH: Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun

Aspect: South–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H4

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Rosaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy
Potentially harmful: Seed kernels harmful if eaten Pets (dogs, rabbits, rodents): Harmful if eaten - for further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plantside the kernels of the fruit are harmful if eaten
Genus: Prunus can be deciduous or evergreen trees or shrubs with showy flowers in spring, and often good autumn foliage colour. Some have edible fruit in autumn, and a few species have ornamental bark
Name Status: Accepted
Horticultural Group

Horticultural Classification Codes

Horticultural Classification Codes are often given to genera which have a large number of species or cultivars. They are used to categorise cultivated plants based on specific, shared characteristics such as shape, colour, size or flowering time, and can be displayed as letters or numbers

For example:
Dahlia ‘Sunset Kate (Sin) = Single flower
Rosa ‘Marigold’ (HT) = Hybrid Tea: This genus produces fruit, but not necessarily edible fruit

How to Grow

Cultivation

Apricots flourish on deep, moisture-retentive, well-drained, ideally slightly alkaline soils and struggle in poor, shallow soils. Although fully hardy, they bloom early, and the flowers are vulnerable to frost, so trees need a warm, sheltered position. Protect blossom from frost at night, and hand pollinate if insects are scarce. See apricot cultivation for further advice

Propagation

Propagate by grafting on rootstock for fruit. Seed-raised plants are likely to be inferior to the parent

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
Edible fruit
Wall side borders

Pruning

May be trained as a fan on a warm wall, or as a free-standing bush in milder areas. Train fan-trained trees in spring. Pruning established fans is carried out in early summer and after harvest

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids, brown scale, glasshouse red spider mite. Birds and squirrels may damage fruit

Diseases

May be susceptible to peach leaf curl, silver leaf, bacterial canker, blossom wilt and honey fungus