Pluot vs Plumcot vs Aprium: Differences, Taste and Growing

By the Garden Voila editorial team · Updated October 30, 2026 · How we verify

A plumcot is a first-generation cross between a plum and an apricot, roughly half of each, while a pluot is a later-generation hybrid that is mostly plum with some apricot in its ancestry, giving smooth plum-like skin and very high sweetness. Apriums are the reverse: mostly apricot. Plumcots were named by Luther Burbank in the early 1900s; pluots and apriums were developed by Floyd Zaiger of Zaiger Genetics in California, and the names Pluot and Aprium are trademarks. All three are grown like Japanese plums, usually need a compatible pollinizer and are best eaten fresh.

Pluot, plumcot and aprium compared

What is a plumcot?

A plumcot is the simplest plum-apricot hybrid: a direct cross between a plum and an apricot. According to the Wikipedia entry on pluots and related hybrids, Luther Burbank coined the name “plumcot,” and natural plumcots have occurred for centuries wherever plums and apricots grow from seed together. The equivalent term apriplum is sometimes used when the plum was the seed parent. Plumcots look like a cross between the two, often with a slight fuzz, and taste of both fruits.

What is a pluot?

A pluot is a more complex hybrid. Rather than a single cross, it comes from several generations of crossing and backcrossing plums and plumcots, so the plum share of its ancestry is larger. The result is fruit that looks like a plum, with smooth skin that is often speckled or dappled, but with an exceptional sweetness and a hint of apricot. The Utah State University Extension plum guide notes that Plumcot, Pluot and Aprium are known commercially as trademarks of Zaiger Genetics and range from predominantly plum to predominantly apricot.

What is an aprium?

An aprium is the opposite of a pluot: a complex hybrid that is mostly apricot, with apricot-like, slightly fuzzy golden skin, often with red blush, and dense, sweet flesh. Apriums usually ripen early in the season and are picked fully mature, because semi-mature fruit stays hard. They are less common in home gardens than pluots.

Who invented the pluot?

Floyd Zaiger (1926 to 2020), a fruit breeder in Modesto, California, developed the pluot and aprium in the late 20th century through decades of conventional cross-pollination. His company, Zaiger Genetics, has released hundreds of fruit varieties, and many pluots are sold through Dave Wilson Nursery. None of these fruits is genetically engineered; they were bred by hand-pollinating flowers and selecting the best seedlings over many generations. Burbank’s earlier plumcot work laid the foundation.

Which pluot varieties are best?

Descriptions follow published variety profiles. Taste differs by climate and harvest timing, so try fruit from local growers before planting if you can.

How do you grow a pluot tree?

Pluots and plumcots are grown much like Japanese plums.

1. Check chill hours. Many pluots need roughly 400 to 800 winter chill hours, varying by variety. They are generally best in zones 6 to 9, especially in climates with warm, dry summers like California. Check your zone with the growing zone finder and the variety label for chill hours.
2. Plan pollination. Most pluots are not reliably self-fruitful. Plant a compatible pluot or Japanese plum that blooms at the same time; nurseries list recommended partners for each variety. A self-fruitful Japanese plum such as Santa Rosa is a common pollinizer.
3. Choose the site. Full sun, good air flow and well-drained soil. Avoid frost pockets, because pluots bloom early.
4. Plant dormant trees in winter or early spring. Use the planting hole size calculator and keep the graft union above the soil.
5. Train to an open center and prune like a Japanese plum; see how to prune a plum tree.
6. Thin fruit to about 4 to 6 inches apart for full size and sweetness.

Do pluots need a pollinator?

Usually yes. Pluot pollination is the most common reason for poor crops in home gardens. Some varieties are partly self-fruitful, but most set much better crops with a partner. Good partners are other pluots or Japanese plums that bloom at the same time; apricots generally are not effective partners for pluots. If you only have room for one tree, consider a multi-graft tree with two or more compatible pluots on one trunk, which is how many pluots are sold; see our guide to the cocktail fruit tree.

When are pluots ripe?

Depending on variety, pluots ripen from early summer to fall, and some late varieties hang on the tree for weeks. Many pluots stay firm and colorful long before they are fully sweet, so taste-testing is the best guide. Ripe pluots give slightly when pressed, smell sweet and come away easily. Their sugar keeps rising while they hang, so picking late usually rewards you with exceptionally sweet fruit. Refrigerate ripe fruit and eat within one to two weeks.

Are pluots healthier than plums?

Nutritionally, pluots are similar to plums: low in calories and a source of fiber, vitamin C and antioxidant pigments. They are often sweeter, with more natural sugar and lower acidity, but the difference per serving is small. Like plums, they are best eaten with the skin, which holds much of the fiber and color.

What pests and diseases affect pluots?

Pluots share the problems of Japanese plums: brown rot near harvest, bacterial canker, aphids, birds and, in the eastern US, plum curculio and black knot. Thinning, pruning for airflow, removing mummified fruit and netting against birds prevent most losses. They are generally less successful in hot, humid climates, where disease pressure is higher. Use the pest identifier for insects you do not recognize.

Pluots vs plums vs apricots: which should you grow?

For the full plum family, see types of plum trees.

How do you tell pluots, plumcots and plums apart at the store?

• Skin texture: Plums and pluots are smooth; plumcots and apriums often feel slightly fuzzy, like a thin-skinned apricot.
• Pattern: Many pluots have speckled, dappled or striped skin, which is rare in ordinary plums.
• Taste: Pluots are noticeably sweeter and less tart than most plums, especially near the skin. Apriums taste clearly of apricot.
• Label: Supermarkets often sell all of them as “plums” or under brand names; look for the variety name on the sticker.

Can you grow a pluot tree in a container?

Yes. Pluots on semi-dwarf or dwarfing rootstock grow well in containers of 15 to 20 gallons or larger, and multi-graft pluot trees in pots solve the pollination problem in small spaces. Use a fast-draining potting mix, water whenever the top couple of inches dry out and feed lightly in spring. Prune after harvest to keep the tree around 6 to 8 feet. In cold regions, protect the pot from hard freezes. The container garden planner and the grow bag volume calculator help you choose a container size.

A short history of plum-apricot hybrids

How do you use pluots in the kitchen?

Pluots are at their best eaten fresh and chilled, but their sweetness and firm texture work well in many dishes. Slice them into salads with greens, cheese and nuts; grill halves for a few minutes until caramelized; bake them into galettes, crisps and upside-down cakes; or cook them into jam, which needs less added sugar than plum jam. Because they are so sweet, a squeeze of lemon juice brightens cooked pluot dishes. They also freeze well: halve, pit and freeze on a tray before bagging.

Pluot tree care calendar

Why is my pluot tree not producing fruit?

The most common reasons are a missing or mismatched pollinizer, frost during bloom, too few chill hours for the variety, a tree that is still young, or heavy pruning that removed fruiting spurs. Check that a compatible partner blooms at the same time, choose varieties suited to your chill hours, avoid frost pockets and prune moderately. Most pluots begin bearing about 2 to 4 years after planting.

Can you grow a pluot from a seed?

A pluot pit can sprout after several weeks of cold, moist stratification, but the seedling will not be the same pluot. Pluots are complex hybrids, and their seedlings vary widely, often reverting toward plum or apricot traits, and many are less tasty. Many pluot varieties are also patented, so grafting them yourself without a license is not allowed. Growing a seedling is a fun experiment and can produce a rootstock, but for true pluot fruit, buy a grafted tree from a licensed nursery. The stratification method is the same as for other stone fruit; see how to grow a cherry tree from seed.

If you are still undecided, taste both at a farmers’ market in summer before you buy a tree; flavor, texture and ripening time vary more between named varieties than between the pluot and plumcot categories themselves.

For the apricot side of these hybrids, see dwarf apricot trees.

This article is part of our fruit trees guide, which groups all our fruit growing advice by crop.

How these hybrids were bred, and the compatibility catch

The University of California’s demystifying pluots, apriums and other stone fruit hybrids explains that most are interspecific plums: crosses of apricot (Prunus armeniaca) with Japanese plum (P. salicina) or cherry plum (P. cerasifera). First-generation crosses are plumcots (a name coined by Luther Burbank) or apriplums, depending on which parent they resemble. Later breeding by Floyd Zaiger produced differing percentages of the parents:

Hybrids can offer better hardiness, lower acidity, higher sugar or firmer flesh. The growing catch is that you must choose varieties that pollinate each other, because incompatible pairs may flower well but set no fruit, so you will likely need two trees. Many hybrids have low chill requirements and bloom early, and outside suitable climates frequent crop loss is likely. Check compatibility, chill and local climate before buying, and use our growing zone finder. Supermarkets often label these fruits as plums or apricots, so taste comparisons are hard.

Frequently asked questions

Further reading: Pluot; Utah State University Extension, Plums in the Home Garden; US Patent and Trademark Office, Plant Patents.

Reviewed October 2026. Sources: University of California Backyard Gardener, Demystifying Pluots, Apriums and Other Stone Fruit Hybrids