Fruit Tree Update: Flavor Delight Aprium

flavor delight aprium

One of my big regrets is not planting a bunch of fruit trees when we first moved into our house in 1998.* Thankfully though, we got our act together eventually. In 2011, we put in a call local fruit tree expert Steve Hovfendahl for some suggestions. His advice was based on what would grow in our warm climate as well as fruit tasting results conducted by the Dave Wilson nursery.

It’s been over two years since we planted the trees Hovfendahl suggested and they are just beginning to bear fruit. We ordered one too many trees and had to stick the Flavor Delight Aprium in a less than idea location (too much shade). Despite the lack of sun the tree bore some fruit in late May and it sure was tasty–the perfect balance between sweet and tart.

The Flavor Delight Aprium is a cross between a plum and an apricot that is hardy to zones 6 to 10 and requires less than 300 hours below 45°F, making it ideal for warm climates. It’s one of many hybrid fruit trees developed painstakingly over many years by Zaiger Genetics. In terms of taste and appearance it’s more of an apricot than a plum.

If you live in the right climate I highly recommend this tree.

* Note from Kelly: In our defense, we didn’t plant trees because we didn’t think we had room. Back then we didn’t know  about “Backyard Orchard Culture” — which, in a nutshell, means keeping fruit trees small. This is also discussed on the Dave Wilson site. This is really important information for any homesteader.

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11 Comments

  1. My biggest regret is not planting a pecan tree here when I moved here in 1977. But, I did manage to plant lots of flowering trees and shade trees to go with all the oaks, hickories, and pines. Stupid Linda! I had plenty of room.

    Planting nut and fruit trees is my top advice to new home owners. However, they are more concerned about replacing functional counters or floors or shrubs to enhance curb appeal.

  2. Planting fruit trees is one of the things I most look forward to about buying a house with a yard! Our dwarf Meyer lemon is perfectly happy in a large pot on the balcony, but a yard to fill with beautiful edibles is one of our top priorities when we decide to move.

  3. I am glad you mentioned planting fruit trees when first moving in. When I first moved in I planted plums, apricots, pears, apples, olive, pomegranate, persimmon and flowering trees and various shrubs like lavenders, sages, and rosemary. Now I am glad I did. The view to my acre of dirt is looking promising and gives me the time with nature that is more important to me then the brief moments that I might spend moaning over my old counters and outdated kitchen. (Which by the way are perfectly functional so I can’t see sending them to the land fills).

    • Indeed! You bring up something that’s really important–fruit trees are beautiful–just as beautiful as ornamental plants. And they are much less work than vegetables!

  4. That looks good! Is it self-fertilizing?

    One of our trees died of a fungal thing and we want to replace it. It is a very small space though, I think we might put in a fig tree because we can keep it small or even turn it into a bush.

  5. Espalier is another way to get fruit trees in a small space. I have an Anna apple that has maybe 50 apples or more on it against my garage.

    • Will roots from an espaliered tree mess up a slab foundation? I would be planting right next to the house and am worried it would make the foundation shift.

  6. I planted a few dwarf cherry trees in my landscape and they look great – ornamental and productive. I have an apricot, and although it is supposed to need a cross pollinator, I get apricots when i don’t have a late freeze. I don’t spray, so there is usually a worm in the center with the pit. But the fruit is free stone and it is easy to rip open the apricot and remove the grub before eating.

  7. It’s never too late to plant fruit trees – I’m glad you did and they’re fruiting. I have planted fruit trees everywhere I’ve lived but never stuck around long enough to enjoy the spoils. I’m hopeful the current place is the exception.

    And thanks for linking to the Dave Wilson backyard orchard culture website – that exact link is what gave me the courage to do it at the first house I had and it turned out wonderfully (from what I hear)! Great instructions for those not sure about the size of fruit trees (hint: prune them).

  8. I was sleepy when I read this post early today. The “Aprium” seemed to be a Latin fruit. It took reading again to realize it was a cross between an apricot and a plum. My Latin teacher would think my mistake was funny and she would be happy she made an impression on me.

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