Have you ever eaten an apricot? If you have, you might be fascinated by its fruity and sour-sweet taste. Actually, the value of an apricot tree is not only in its lovable fruit, but also the beautiful and fragrant flowers.

The apricot has a cultivation history in China for as long as two to three thousand years. It is a member of the rose family, which has relatives that include the plum, peach cherry and almond. 

Chinese people like to grow apricot trees both for food and ornamental purposes. In early spring, the trees will produce white to pinkish flowers with a tender fragrance. As the blossoms were honored by ancient Chinese in different dynasties, the flowers were endowed with cultural meanings. The preaching place of the well-known Chinese philosopher Confucius was renowned for the name "Apricot Altar" because of the apricot tree that grew around it.

If you plan to plant an apricot from scratch in your garden and enjoy the blossoms and fruits, patience and time are essential. You will need a pit from an apricot fruit. If you have just eaten one, scrub the flesh off and let it dry for three hours. After that, crack the pit, take out the seed and plant it.

It takes about four months for the seed to sprout and four years for it to mature and produce flowers and fruits. If you cannot wait that long, just come to China during spring and enjoy the blooming apricot blossoms.

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Season of flower

(Cover image via VCG)

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