BRIONCON APRICOT

(Prunus brigintana)

A tree of briancon apricot

Family: Rosasceae

Synonyms:  Armeniaca brigantiaca, Prunus armeniaca brigantiaca,

Other names: Alpine Plum

Brioncon apricot is a fruit from Europe growing from southeast France and northwest Italy and also in  the Alps.  The fruit has also been introduced to a few more European countries.  

It was introduced into America in as early as in 1896 but it is still very little known in America.

The fruit resembles a golden cherry tomato, tastes like a plum, and botanists class it as a fuzzless little apricot.

Description:

A deciduous tree growing to 6m, more elegant and refines; buds sharply pointed and relatively slender.

Leaves 2.5 to 7.5 or rarely 10 cm long, very sharply toothed, and lightly hairy.

            Flowers borne in crowded tufts of 2 – 5,  pinkish or white, about 2-2.5 cm wide, hermaphrodite and are pollinated by Insects

Fruits golden-yellow, fuzzless, 2-2.5 cm wide, edible, tasting like plum, freestone.

Utilization:

Fruit are eaten raw.  They taste somewhat like a plum and have a pleasant mealy texture and sweet flavour.  These are also made into a jam and other products. 

An aromatic edible oil called 'huille des marmottes' is obtained from the seed. It is used as a substite for olive oil substitute in France.  This oil obtained is also used for lighting. It is aromatic.

A dark grey to green dye can be obtained from the fruit.

Cultivation:

Brioncon apricot starts bearing at an early age and is a prolific bearer.  It is planted in gardens.

This fruit tree thrives in a well-drained moisture-retentive loamy soil, growing well on limestone. This succeeds in sun or partial shade too though the fruiting is better in a sunny locations.

The tree can be propagated from seed which require 10-12 cold stratification for 10-12 weeks.  But the seeds are very slow to grow.

It is also possible to raise new plants by cuttings.  Semi hardwood  cuttings with a heel have been found to give better results.