Apricot

Color/Appearance: Heartwood is light brown, sometimes with a reddish or orangish cast. Darker brown streaks are common. Sapwood is generally thin, and  is slightly paler than heartwood.

Grain/Texture: Fine even texture with moderate natural luster.

Endgrain: Semi-ring-porous; solitary and radial multiples; medium to small pores sometimes arranged in broken earlywood rows, very numerous; mineral/gum deposits occasionally present; parenchyma not visible; medium to large rays, spacing normal.

Rot Resistance: No data available.

Workability: Areas with straight and clear grain are easy to work with hand or machine tools. Care must be taken when surfacing irregular grain or knots to avoid tearout. Apricot glues, turns, and finishes well.

Odor: No characteristic odor.

Allergies/Toxicity: Besides the standard health risks associated with any type of wood dust, no further health reactions have been associated with Apricot. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.

Pricing/Availability: Not commercially available in lumber form due to very small tree sizes, Apricot is most commonly seen among hobbyists and other small specialty woodworkers and related retailers.  Most commonly sold in turning blanks or other small sections. Prices are likely to be high for a domestic wood.

Sustainability: This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Common Uses: Turned objects, musical instruments, carvings, and knife handles.

Comments: Although Apricot is related to Cherry (Prunus genus), it tends to be heavier and harder than Cherry, and much more scarce. Sizes are very limited, so Apricot tends to be assigned primarily to smaller, more decorative purposes.