Hybrid Stonefruit - Prunus X

Hybrid stonefruit trees are innovative fruit tree varieties created through crosses between different Prunus species, offering exciting options for New Zealand home orchards and edible gardens. These unique fruit trees combine characteristics from apricots (Prunus armeniaca), Japanese plums (Prunus salicina), and cherry plums (P. cerasifera), creating what are scientifically known as interspecific plums.

First-generation hybrid stonefruit varieties are classified as either 'plumcots' (a name coined by pioneering hybridizer Luther Burbank) or 'apriplums,' depending on which parent fruit they most closely resemble. These original hybrid stonefruit trees laid the foundation for modern fruit breeding programs.

Further breeding has produced numerous modern hybrid stonefruit varieties, each developed to emphasize specific beneficial characteristics while maintaining the best traits of their parent fruit trees. These advanced hybrid stonefruit trees often exhibit:

• Increased cold hardiness for challenging New Zealand climates

• Lower acidity levels for improved eating quality

• Higher sugar content for enhanced sweetness

• Firmer flesh for better storage and transport

While Luther Burbank pioneered early hybridization work with plums and apricots, we have Floyd Zaiger - a family fruit farmer and remarkable hybridizer from Modesto, California - to thank for popularizing modern hybrid stonefruit varieties that are now available to New Zealand growers.

Hybrid stonefruit trees represent an exciting frontier in fruit tree varieties, offering home orchard enthusiasts the opportunity to grow unique fruit trees that combine the best characteristics of multiple species. These innovative fruit tree varieties can provide novel flavors and improved growing characteristics compared to traditional single-species fruit trees.

When planning your edible garden with hybrid stonefruit varieties, consider their specific growing requirements, which often combine traits from both parent species. Use our fruit tree selector to explore which hybrid stonefruit trees might suit your New Zealand growing conditions and home orchard goals.