Green Thumb Corner

Apricot - Chinese, Prunus armeniaca 'Chinese', is an early bearing, heavy producing variety that is recommended for difficult climates prone to late spring frosts. Cold hardy, frost hardy, and sets heavy crops of small to medium size sweet fruit. The fr

Apricot - Gold Kist, Prunus armeniaca 'Gold Kist', is one of the earliest ripening fruits. Blooms very early; generally difficult to grow, especially in late frost areas. Needs well-drained, moderately fertile soil. It is best to thin fruit early in seaso

Apricot - Gold Cot, Prunus armeniaca 'Gold Cot', produces good crops of medium to large freestone golden-yellow fruit which will keep in the fridge for several weeks. It is one of the earliest ripening fruits and blooms very early; generally difficult to grow, especially in late frost areas. Needs well-drained, moderately fertile soil. It is best to thin fruit early in season to maximize size and quality. Apricot trees, once established, are somewhat drought-tolerant. The trees are gorgeous in spring with white or pink blossoms, and ornamental in summer with their furrowed bark and heart-shaped, glossy leaves, red when new and dark green when mature. Apricots contain carotenoids which are antioxidants that help prevent heart disease, reduce "bad cholesterol" levels, and protect against cancer.

Aprium - Cot-N-Candy, Aprium Prunus armeniaca x domestica ssp.aprium 'Cot-N-Candy', is an apricot-plum hybrid that resembles an apricot. It looks like an apricot, but has a distinctive flavor and texture all its own. Cot-N-Candy's flesh is extra sweet and juicy with a plumy aftertaste. It is a multi-stemmed, shrubby, small tree with a spreading crown. Cot-N-Candy is partially self fertile but you will get bigger crops if pollinated by an apricot. One of the earliest ripening fruits, in mid June in California, it also blooms very early and is difficult to grow in late frost areas. Thin fruit early to maximize size and quality. Con-N-Candy needs well-drained, moderately fertile soil. It is best to thin fruit early in season to maximize size and quality.

Pluot - Splash, Prunus pluot 'Splash', is a complex hybrid of 70 percent plum, 30 percent apricot. Smooth-skinned like a plum, the Pluot® is sturdy and durable with luscious flavor. It has the chin-dripping juiciness of a fully ripe plum without the notoriously tough skin and tart center typical of the parent plum. It can be eaten fresh, dried, or in desserts. Splash Pluot is yellow, turning to orange/red at maturity with yellow flesh. It is a beautiful upright tree that looks like it is hung with Christmas lights when the fruit is hanging!

The Bing Cherry is one of the finest commercial sweet cherries and it is the most famous sweet cherry variety. It produces a very large, delicious cherry that ranges in color from a deep garnet to almost black. The skin is smooth and glossy and the flesh firm and sweet. Bing cherries are good for cooking as well as out-of-hand eating. The flesh is very solid, reddish-purple in color, and is flavorful and juicy. The Bing Cherry tree requires cross-pollination to produce fruit.

The Utah Giant cherry is more flavorful, larger and more firm than a Bing or a Lambert. When comparing or choosing sweet cherries the Utah Giant should be part of your selection process. The flesh color is dark red and very sweet. Just pick right off the tree and enjoy. The Utah Giant is a great western disease-resistant variety that blooms with the Bing cherry. As a pollinator is required, a couple good choices are the Bing, Rainier or the Van.

The English Morello is a fantastic late-ripening tart cherry for pie making and cooking, sometimes eaten fresh when fully ripe. Dark red to nearly black fruit with dark juice can be used when making liqueurs and brandies. These cherries are often found canned, packed in syrup or dried and in preserves. This cherry also freezes well.

The Lapin Cherry fruit is large and deep purple in color with lighter red flesh. The Lapin Cherry, (la-PAHN), the french word for "rabbit", is a big, beautiful, dark red cherry. These are some of the largest, juciest cherries that grow on trees. They are great for snacking, and so big, one cherry is a mouthful! The skin is bright in appearance and it is split resistant due to flexible skin. The Lapin is an excellent pollinator and is a heavy bearer.

The Montmorency cherry is the most popular sour cherry in America and it is the classic pie cherry tree. Montmorency cherries have proven over the years to be outstanding for cooking and pie-making. The tree ripens the fruit in June and grows about 15 feet tall. The Montmorency cherry tree is self fertile and produces medium sized, dark red, cherries with good flavor and quality. Flesh is clear and yellow in color.

The Rainier Cherry tree produces sweet, large, yellow fruit with a red blush. The fruit is firm and the flesh is fine-textured and clear to light yellow. Fans of the Rainier appreciate the creamy-yellow flesh, which gives the blush of the skin a sunny undertone. The sweetness is what keeps them coming back for more. The Rainier has a distinct sweet flavor. It is a very productive tree that resists cracking, spurs and doubles. The tree will pollinate with the Bing Cherry. It will not self-pollinate.

The Stella cherry is self-fruitful - no pollenizer needed. It has a large, nearly black, richly flavored sweet cherry. Similar to its parent, Lambert. Expect a later harvest with the Stella cherry. It will pollinate with the Bing cherry tree, except in mild winter climates. The flesh is also black in color. It is an excellent cherry for fresh eating. It is also resistant to cracking. Tree bears at a young age. Tree eventually reaches 15 to 16 feet tall. Watch for birds, they love the Stella.