Flowering Apricots

青軸（あおじく)

'Ao Jiku' is typically grown for fruit,  but will produce enjoyable flowers, and can also be used for bonsai.  It produces medium-size fruit, and has a relatively early harvest.

Primary uses: Umeboshi and umeshu

紅さし （べにさし 紅映)

'Beni Sashi' is typically grown for fruit,  but will produce enjoyable flowers, and can also be used for bonsai.  It produces medium-size fruit (~22grams) with relatively small seeds.  The fruit have with thin, glossy, dark green skin.

Primary uses: Umeboshi and umeshu

豊後（ぶんご)

'Bungo' is typically grown for fruit,  but will produce enjoyable flowers, and can also be used for bonsai.  It produces medium-size fruit (~22grams) with relatively small seeds.  Like 'Inazumi' and 'Jumbo Takada', 'Bungo' is considered more cold hardy than other Ume cultivars

Primary uses: Umeshu

Pollination: It can self-pollinate, but will benefit from the presence of another variety.  It does produce a large amount of pollen and can serve as a good pollinator for other varieties as well.

花香実 （はなかみ）

'Hanakami' is typically grown for fruit,  but will produce enjoyable flowers, and can also be used for bonsai.  It produces fruit weighing roughly 25-30grams.  This cultivar is common in Common in Hokkaido and Kyushu

Primary uses: Umeboshi and umeshu

Pollination: It can self-pollinate, but will benefit from the presence of another variety.  It does produce a large amount of pollen and can serve as a good pollinator for other varieties as well.

稲積 （いなづみ）

'Inazumi' is typically grown for fruit,  but will produce enjoyable flowers, and can also be used for bonsai.   Known in Toyama (Himi city), this cultivar produces medium-size fruit (~25grams) with relatively small seeds and thick flesh.  Like 'Bungo' and 'Jumbo Takada', 'Inazumi' is considered more cold hardy than other Ume cultivars, and its upright growth habit makes it less susceptible to snow damage.

Primary uses: Umeboshi

Pollination: It can self-pollinate, but will benefit from the presence of another variety.  It does produce a large amount of pollen and can serve as a good pollinator for other varieties as well.

ジャンボ高田（じゃんぼたかだ)

'Jumbo Takada' is typically grown for fruit,  but will produce enjoyable flowers, and can also be used for bonsai.  This cultivar is known in Aizutakada, Fukushima prefecture.  It requires a lot of light, and pruning to improve light penetration is critical.  Like 'Bungo' and 'Inazumi', 'Jumbo Takada' is considered more cold hardy than other Ume cultivars

Primary uses: Umeboshi and umeshu.  It is known for maintaining a particularly good texture as umeboshi.

Pollination: It can self-pollinate, but will benefit from the presence of another variety.  It does produce a large amount of pollen and can serve as a good pollinator for other varieties as well.

改良内田 （かいりょううちだ)

'Kairyō Uchida' is typically grown for fruit,  but will produce enjoyable flowers, and can also be used for bonsai.  This cultivar is known for its resistance to pests and diseases.

Primary uses: Umeboshi and umeshu

Pollination: It can self-pollinate, but will benefit from the presence of another variety.  It does produce a large amount of pollen and can serve as a good pollinator for other varieties as well.

選抜紀州南高梅 (せんばつきしゅうなんこうばい)

'Kishu Nanko' is typically grown for fruit,  but will produce enjoyable flowers, and can also be used for bonsai.    Grown especially in Wakayawa (Kishu), but appreciated all over Japan and internationally, Kishu Nanko iswidely considered to be the highest grade fruit quality of all ume. The flesh is thick, with small seeds.

Primary uses: Umeboshi and umeshu

Pollination: It is known for producing large volumes of flowers and fruit.  It will benefit from the presence of another variety.

古城（こじろ)

'Kojiro' is typically grown for fruit,  but will produce enjoyable flowers, and can also be used for bonsai.  Its fruit are darker blue, with thick flesh that is relatively hard.  It is known for its early harvest time.

Primary uses: Ume juice and umeshu.  

Pollination: It will benefit from the presence of another variety.

甲州小梅（こうしゅうこうめ)

'Kōshū Koume' is typically grown for fruit,  but will produce enjoyable flowers, and can also be used for bonsai.  The 'ko' prefix refers to this cultivars relatively small fruit.  Despite its small size of fruit, Koshu Koume is known for its volume of flesh and excellent texture.

Primary uses: Umeshu

Pollination: It is known as a particularly good self-pollinator, but will benefit from the presence of another variety.

小粒南高（こつぶなんこう）

'Kotsubu Nanko' is typically grown for fruit,  but will produce enjoyable flowers, and can also be used for bonsai.  It is considered to be identical in taste to Nanko, despite its smaller fruit size (16-25grams) with a proportionally smaller seed.  This is a high-yield variety, and the greater the volumes of the fruit on the tree the smaller the fruit will be.

Primary uses: Umeboshi

Pollination: It can self-pollinate, but will benefit from the presence of another variety.

おひさまコット

'O Hisama Kotto' is typically grown for fruit,  but will produce enjoyable flowers, and can also be used for bonsai.  Unlike most Ume, the sugar content and low acidity makes 'Ohisamacott' particularly good for eating! It produces large fruit (~110-120grams) with orange-yellow skin, and is harvested later than usual: July.

Primary uses: Eating!

Pollination: It can self-pollinate, but will benefit from the presence of another variety.

鶯宿（おうしゅく)

'Ōshuku' is typically grown for fruit,  but will produce enjoyable flowers, and can also be used for bonsai.  The history of this cultivar can be traced back to the Nanboku-chō period (1336-1392).  Its flesh is hard, and it is known for its use in umeshu!

Primary uses: Umeshu and ume juice.  Umeboshi will be particularly firm

竜峡小梅（りゅうきょうこうめ）

'Ryūkyō Koume ' is typically grown for fruit,  but will produce enjoyable flowers, and can also be used for bonsai.  This cultivar was discovered in the Taishō era (1912-1926) in Matsukawa, Nagano prefecture.  The 'ko' prefix refers to this cultivars relatively small fruit (~2-5g) that have a high volume of flesh despite their size.

Primary uses: Known for its particularly nice firm texture when used in Umeboshi 

白加賀（しろかが）

'Shirokaga' is typically grown for fruit,  but will produce enjoyable flowers, and can also be used for bonsai.  Whereas 'Nanko' is famous in the Kansai region, 'Shirakaga' is famous in the Kanto region.  Shirokaga's fruit are juicy, and the cultivar is known to be particular resistant to disease in Japan

Primary uses: Umeboshi, umeshu, juice

Pollination: It produces very little pollen, and should be accompanied by the presence of another variety

翠香　（すいこう）

'Suikō' is typically grown for fruit,  but will produce enjoyable flowers, and can also be used for bonsai.  It is a relatively new variety, with good acidity and unique aroma that sets it apart from other Ume making it particularly well-suited for producing high quality umeshu and ume juice.  The fruit is roughly 35grams.

Primary uses: High quality umeshu and juice

Pollination: It is not known to self-pollinate, and must be accompanied by the presence of another variety.  It can be used to pollinate other varieties

露茜　（つゆあかね)

'Tsuyu Akane' is typically grown for fruit,  but will produce enjoyable flowers, and can also be used for bonsai.  This is a relatively new variety created by the Fruit Tree Research Institute of the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO).  It produces fairly large fruit (~60-70grams) with reddish skin and vivid red flesh.  Like most Ume, it is acidic to eat raw.

Primary uses: It is rapidly gaining popularity for its use in umeshu

Pollination: It is not known to self-pollinate, and must be accompanied by the presence of another variety.  It can be used to pollinate other varieties