Hybrid Stonefruit - Prunus X

Hybrid Stonefruit are a cross between the Prunus species, such as between apricots (Prunus armeniaca) and Japanese plums (Prunus salicina) or cherry plums (P. cerasifera) and are known as interspecific plums. First generation crosses are known as plumcots, a name coined by Luther Burbank, or apriplums depending on which they more closely resemble.

After those first generation crosses further crosses have have taken place resulting in many new modern hybrids and resulted in certain characteristics of the original fruits being dominant, but with specific benefits such as increased hardiness, lower acidity, higher sugar content, or firmer flesh. While Luther Burbank experimented with the early hybridization of plums and apricots, we have Floyd Zaiger, a family fruit farmer and a truly remarkable hybridizer in Modesto, California to thank for the popularisation of the hybrids.