Tlor-tsiran Apricot is a remarkable naturally occurring hybrid of apricot and myrobalan plum discovered in central Asia, now grown in hardiness zones 4 through 8. The tree produces unusual oval fruit with dark purple, mildly fuzzy skin and succulent flesh marbled in red and yellow, a striking departure from the golden hues of traditional apricots. Discovered and tasted by Raintree Nursery staff at the Krymsk Station near the Caucasus mountains, this heirloom variety captivates with flavor that transports you far beyond the typical apricot experience. Growing 14 to 22 feet tall, it reaches maturity slowly but rewards patient gardeners with fruit of genuine distinction.
Full Sun
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4-8
264in H x ?in W
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Moderate
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The Tlor-tsiran arrives with a story written into its very flesh, a natural hybrid born in the Caucasus that blurs the line between apricot and plum in the most delicious way. Its dark purple skin and marbled red-and-yellow flesh announce something different the moment you bite into it, while the mildly fuzzy exterior echoes its apricot heritage. The flavor justifies the journey; those who've tasted it describe an experience that lingers. While the tree doesn't hang heavy with fruit, what does ripen carries the weight of genuine botanical intrigue.
As an edible fruit, Tlor-tsiran Apricot serves the fresh table first and foremost, its unique flavor best appreciated when eaten fully ripe. The marbled flesh and distinctive taste make it compelling for those seeking heritage fruit varieties that connect them to older growing traditions and central Asian fruit genetics.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Harvest Tlor-tsiran fruit when the dark purple skin shows full color development and the fruit yields slightly to gentle hand pressure. The marbled red-and-yellow flesh beneath the fuzzy skin will be soft and succulent at peak ripeness. Pick fruit by gently twisting and lifting from the branch, or use pruners to avoid damaging the tree.
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“Tlor-tsiran Apricot emerged as a natural hybrid between apricot (Prunus armeniaca) and myrobalan plum (Prunus cerasifera) in the mountains of central Asia, specifically thriving near the Caucasus range where diverse stone fruit genetics have long mingled. The variety came to wider attention when Raintree Nursery staff discovered and tasted it at the Krymsk Station in Russia, an institution renowned for stone fruit breeding and preservation. The exceptional flavor profile so impressed them that they chose to propagate and offer it to home gardeners, recognizing in this humble hybrid a taste worth sharing with a broader audience. This journey from Russian research station to North American nurseries preserves a piece of central Asian fruit diversity that might otherwise have remained unknown to gardeners outside its native region.”