Mature size & growth rate

How big does Japanese Apricot (Prunus mume) get?

Also called Japanese Apricot, Ume, Chinese Plum.

More about japanese apricot

About Japanese Apricot

Prunus mume · also called Japanese Apricot, Ume · flowering

Prunus mume, the ume, is a deciduous flowering tree celebrated in bonsai for its fragrant pink or white blossoms that open on bare winter-to-early-spring branches. Grown outdoors in full sun, it needs a cold rest to bloom and tolerates hard pruning. Old, gnarled trunks give it exceptional character among flowering bonsai.

Mature size: As bonsai usually 30-70 cm tall; the species reaches 4-9 m in the ground.

Watch for — Aphids on new growth: Prunus is highly aphid-prone in spring; rinse or treat with insecticidal soap before honeydew and sooty mould develop.

Indoor size vs how big it gets in the wild

Japanese Apricot is a tree at heart. Indoors a pot and your ceiling keep it to as bonsai usually 30-70 cm tall, but in the ground it is a different scale of plant entirely (the species reaches 4-9 m in the ground.). Indoors and in a pot, expect as bonsai usually 30-70 cm tall. In the ground with no restriction it is a completely different plant — the species reaches 4-9 m in the ground. — which is why the pot, the light and the pruning matter so much for the size you actually end up with.

It gains real height on a trunk or main stem, adding a tier of leaves a year and eventually reaching for the ceiling — this is a plant you grow up, not out.

Growth rate and years to mature

Japanese Apricot is a moderate grower. Realistically, expect three to six years to reach mature indoor size, gaining a steady amount each growing season. Its feeding profile backs this up: feed every two weeks from after flowering through late summer with a balanced bonsai fertiliser, shifting to lower nitrogen and higher phosphorus in late summer to set flower buds. do not feed while dormant or in bloom.

Want this turned into the right next pot at the right moment? The pot size calculator and the japanese apricot repotting guide cover when and how much to size up — pot size is one of the biggest levers on how fast japanese apricot grows.

How to keep japanese apricot smaller

You are not stuck with the maximum size. For japanese apricot specifically, these are the levers, in order of impact:

The decisive tool is the secateurs: japanese apricot can be topped (cut the main growing tip) to cap its height and force a bushier, shorter shape.
Keeping it deliberately pot-bound in a snug container slows the whole plant and limits ultimate size.
Prune in spring so it heals fast; remove the tallest leader back to a node to reset the height.
Expect to top or hard-prune it every year or two — left alone it heads for the ceiling.

The keep-it-smaller method, step by step

Pick the new height. Decide how tall you want japanese apricot and find a leaf node or branch point just below that.
Top the main stem. Cut the main growing tip cleanly just above that node in spring; this permanently caps the height and forces side branches.
Keep the pot snug. Avoid jumping to a much bigger pot — a slightly restricted rootball keeps the whole plant smaller.
Maintain the shape. Prune back the tallest new leaders each spring to hold it at the height you chose.

How to grow japanese apricot bigger or faster

If you want it to fill the space sooner, push the conditions rather than hoping — for japanese apricot the accelerators are:

It already wants the bright light it needs; warmth, a yearly pot-up and spring-summer feed are the accelerators.
Pot up a size every year or two while young; restricted roots are the main thing holding height back.
Feed regularly through the growing season and keep it warm — height comes from sustained good conditions.

Light is almost always the ceiling. The japanese apricot light requirements page covers exactly how bright a spot it needs to grow at its potential instead of stalling.

When japanese apricot outgrows the room (or the pot)

"Too big" usually arrives as one of these signs for japanese apricot:

The top leaves pressing against or bent by the ceiling — the classic "this is now too tall indoors" sign.
It has to be moved away from a light source it has literally outgrown.
Roots filling the largest pot you can reasonably keep indoors — at that point it is top-or-prune or move it outside (if hardy).

If it is the pot rather than the room, it is a repotting job, not a goodbye — see the japanese apricot repotting guide. If you want more of this plant instead of a bigger one, the japanese apricot propagation guide turns prunings into new plants.

Japanese Apricot size — frequently asked questions

How big does japanese apricot get?

Japanese Apricot reaches as bonsai usually 30-70 cm tall when grown indoors, and far larger where it grows unrestricted (the species reaches 4-9 m in the ground.). It gains real height on a trunk or main stem, adding a tier of leaves a year and eventually reaching for the ceiling — this is a plant you grow up, not out.

Is japanese apricot slow or fast growing?

Japanese Apricot is a moderate grower. Expect three to six years to reach mature indoor size, gaining a steady amount each growing season. Japanese Apricot is a tree at heart. Indoors a pot and your ceiling keep it to as bonsai usually 30-70 cm tall, but in the ground it is a different scale of plant entirely (the species reaches 4-9 m in the ground.).

How long does japanese apricot take to reach full size?

Roughly three to six years to reach mature indoor size, gaining a steady amount each growing season. Light, pot size and feeding move that timeline more than anything else.

How do I keep japanese apricot smaller?

The decisive tool is the secateurs: japanese apricot can be topped (cut the main growing tip) to cap its height and force a bushier, shorter shape. Keeping it deliberately pot-bound in a snug container slows the whole plant and limits ultimate size. Prune in spring so it heals fast; remove the tallest leader back to a node to reset the height. Expect to top or hard-prune it every year or two — left alone it heads for the ceiling.

How can I make japanese apricot grow bigger or faster?

It already wants the bright light it needs; warmth, a yearly pot-up and spring-summer feed are the accelerators. Pot up a size every year or two while young; restricted roots are the main thing holding height back. Feed regularly through the growing season and keep it warm — height comes from sustained good conditions.