Pre-order for autumn 2019Important. We are accepting pre-orders now for autumn 2019, but please read our Brexit statement.  More>
EU flagOrange Pippin EU logo
  3. Inter-specific trees

Inter-specific trees

Hybrid fruit varieties arising from crosses between fruits of different species.

  • A sweet self-fertile apricot - mirabelle cross, also known as a miracot.

  • Benita Rafzas is an unusual cross between an Asian and European pear.

  • Flavor King is a pluot (plum / apricot cross) with large sweet fruit.

How to choose Inter-specific trees

New fruit varieties are usually developed by crossing varieties of the same species. However new varieties can also arise from inter-breeding between varieties of different (but related) species. These are known as hybrid or inter-specific varieties.

Hybridisation is particularly common in stone fruits such as plums, cherries, and apricots. Indeed the common plum (Prunus domestica) is thought to be natural hybrid between a sloe (Prunus spinosa) and a cherry-plum (Prunus cerasifera). Although these days most hybrids are developed in university-led research programmes, they are not genetically modified (GMOs) - the process is still based on taking pollen from one variety and pollinating another in the hope of producing a new variety with the desired mix of characteristics.

Apricots are a particular focus in the development of new inter-specific fruit varieties because they naturally produce larger fruits than cherries or plums, and will easily cross-pollinate with them.