Apricot harvest near Mycenae, Greece. Apricots are usually of genus Prunus, from the species P. armeniaca and are closely related to peaches, plums, and nectarines. Already well-known in Greece in 60 BC, apricots were transported to Europe by Greeks who called them golden eggs of the sun."" Today, apricots' are primarily grown in the Mediterranean and Middle East, with off-season offerings from South America or New Zealand. In America, the first apricot tree was first shipped to Virginia in 1720, and spread to orchards in the Spanish missions of California circa 1790." |