Apricots are stone fruits with hard pits. While several apricot species exist, the Ansu apricot is the most popular. Apricot trees can be grown in USDA plant hardiness from zone 3 through to zone 10, with precise limits depending upon the species. The rootstock used to transplant apricot trees has an impact on its hardiness.
Commercially Available Varieties
Tomcot
This cultivar produces creamy/yellow fruit with no blush. It has a stronger flavour than Goldstrike or Goldbar, but smaller fruit. The tree is not particularly winter hardy, but it is fruitful. The fruit ripens three to four days before Goldstike. It isn’t regarded as a shipping cot. Tomcot produces some of its own fruit.
Goldbar
A productive new Washington variety that produces huge, high-quality fruit. The fruit is orange with a hint of scarlet. Harvest occurs 1-2 days before Goldstrike. This cultivar may be susceptible to winter damage. Cross pollination is required.
Goldstrike
A huge orange cot with approximately 20% flushing. The fruit is firm and delicious, with a reasonable amount of juiciness. This type is regarded as a long-distance shipper. Cross pollination with Rival or Goldbar is required. Pitting is a possibility.
Rival
The fruit is oval in shape and enormous in size, with red cheeks. The flavour is modest, and the texture is fine. Cross pollination with Goldstrike or Goldbar is required. It takes a week after Goldstrike to ripen.
Other Species
Hargrand, a huge, juicy, well-flavored variety from Ontario that is suited for the fresh market, has sparked considerable curiosity. Harglow, Harlayne, and Harogem are also characters.
2E-15-5 is a medium-sized orange apricot that is firm, easy to work with, and has a delicious flavour. When the complete colour has developed, it must be chosen. Just before Tilton, it matures. This PARC-Summerland option has generated some curiosity.
Perfection is a classic cultivar with huge fruit that ripens quickly and transports well. After Wenatchee / Moorpark, it matures. Pollination is required and it is susceptible to spring frost. Perfection is flavourless, although it is very popular in markets and at roadside stands.
Apricot that blooms and matures early. Its size is comparable to that of a tiny peach. The unusual flavour of Pui Sha Sin is outstanding. This variety requires 4-5 harvests due to its long harvest time. The apricot’s skin is delicate, bruises easily, and is difficult to handle. It’s ideal for local sales.
Planting Trends – A few small plantings have been planted, but there isn’t much else going on.
Varieties from the past
Under current marketing trends, varieties including Wenatchee/Moorpark, Tilton, Skaha, and Goldrich are not recommended for commercial planting.
Apricot Tree Planting
Though exceptions exist, most apricot types are self-fruitful, which means they can produce fruit using pollen from their own flowers. To yield fruit, the exceptions to this rule need to be planted close to another compatible variety. Even self-fruitful types generate a superior crop when they are planted close to another cultivar, according to Utah State University Yard and Garden Extension.
Apricot trees, like other fruit-bearing types of trees, require a specific quantity of cool hours to set and produce fruit (temperatures between ranging from 31 to 44 degrees Fahrenheit). The number of cool hours necessary varies per variety. The Royal Blenheim tree a self-fruitful type, requires 500 cool hours, according to Minnetonka Orchards. The self-fruitful Katy tree type, meanwhile, needs only 350 cool hours, which makes it an excellent choice for areas with milder winters.
Apricot Tree Maintenance
Plant your apricot tree inside a spot where the soil depth is a minimum of 4 feet, and also drains well, for the greatest results. According to UC Marin Master Gardeners, the needs to be mildly acidic. Apricots do not require fertilizer in their first year after transplanting, according to Utah State University’s Garden and Yard extension, you can fertilize with nitrogen during the spring of subsequent years.
After the fruit has been harvested, prune the apricot tree for eliminating any diseased or weak branches, and creating an open centre for the air and light to reach the canopy; target height of 14 feet as that will ease the caring and maintenance process, and will also enable you to collect fruit without much problem. During a growth season, almost every apricot tree type will produce fruits in quantities that are too much for the tree to handle. As a result, you’ll need to reduce the fruits down to one every 5 to 7 inches of the branch. Doing this will produce higher-quality apricots while also preventing the branches from splitting under the excessive fruit weight.
Variety of Apricot Trees
There are many different varieties of apricot trees that can be grown in gardens. In fact, there are also apricot bushes with fruits which taste nearly like candy. If you’re seeking for the greatest apricot tree for growing at home, this exhaustive list is sure to have the appropriate tree for every kind of reader.
Apricot Tree in Autumn Glory
This tree bears fruit which can be eaten raw or baked into desserts. It’s a great canning variety because of its solid flesh.
In the taste department, this tasty fruit performs admirably. It is brightly colored and has a sweet golden flesh. Apricots produced from this tree create delicious preserves and pies in the late season.
These strong trees yield a harvest which ripens at the same time. Enjoy your late-season crop and prepare for winter enjoyment.
This is an excellent cultivar to have on hand for every home grower, especially for those who sell extra fruit at farmer’s markets. The firmness of the flesh and pleasant flavor travel and store nicely. It’s great to be able to extend the season of fresh-fruit consumption.
The cultivar is one that is “kid-friendly.” Even with a strong assistance harvesting the mature fruit, the fruit’s firmness will prevent it from bruising. The good flavor, moderate texture, and practically fuzz-free skin appeal to children.
People in various sections of the USA are looking for solutions to improve their own and their families’ food security. You will be hard pressed to find a better method to enhance your landscape than with a self-pollinating apricot tree.
Apricot Tree with a White Knockout
This tree produces a fruit with white flesh and a delicate appearance. Allow these to serve as early-season apricot type to sweeten up the start of the season. The spherical, pale yellow fruit (also known as “blonde”) has a strong rosy pink blush and a distinct suture line.
The tree type is sub-acid and high in fruit sweetness. It simply has a delectable sweetness to it. These dessert-grade fruits will please even the pickiest of children!
Maybe you’ve tried the all-time favorite white peach? Just hold on until you’ve tasted fresh-picked white apricots that are still pleasantly warm.
They taste like healthy candy due to the high content of sugar and low amount of acid. Their skin is silky smooth and has a solid firmness.
This apricot tree will provide you with a plentiful yield. Plant breeders have good reasons for giving particular names to particular plants, after all.
You’ll get a “two-for-one” of tasty fruit as well as an appealing landscape tree with this species.
With the spring, the circular canopy is covered in clouds of fragrant white blossoms. This eye-catching exhibit is deserving of a prominent position in your landscape design.
People are beginning to recognize the beauty of fruit-bearing trees and plants all around the country. Through a tree that is sure to delight the entire family, you can join the massive “Edible Landscape” movement.
Because the tree is self-pollinating, you’ll be able to produce a crop through a single tree. We do, however, suggest that you add a second kind. You’ll be surprised at the increase in apricot tree productivity when it has a pollinator.
Combine it with a white-fleshed cultivar, such as White Canadian Blenheim. You’ll also like including sweet-tart, orange-fleshed and delectable apricot cultivars like Royal Rosa, Chinese Apricot, and Puget Gold to the landscape, depending on where you reside.
Apricot Tomcot
This type is a highly productive and consistent apricot with huge orange fruits as well as a sweet-tasting flesh. The fruit will ripen 2-3 weeks prior to Wenatchee Moorpark, which means that it will be ready with around 4 days to go in Goldbar and Goldstrike.
This apricot tree is partially self-fruitful; however, if pollinated by a second apricot, it will produce greater crops. The skin is a dull orange tint with a sheen to it. A smidgeon of blush forms on the sun-exposed side of the body. The pit can be somewhere between medium and large, and is free of flesh.
Apricot Tree Blenheim
This is an apricot variety which blooms early and produces light orange fruits with a sweet and aromatic flavor. This versatile apricot is suitable for a variety of applications, including fresh consumption, juicing, canning, and drying.
Since the 18th century, this ancestral cultivar has been prized for its delicious, aromatic fruit. The Royal Blenheim tree established the benchmark for apricots and was immensely well-known as a royal delight.
Blenheim does not disappoint, from the gorgeous spring bloom with white and pink blossoms, to the amazing set of fruits. The skin has a light orange tinge with crimson flecks, and it is usually green at the section of the shoulder.
From the inside out, the orange, luscious flesh ripens. This premium-quality fruit is all set for harvest during the middle of the season, with an easy, freestone pit.
The Bleinheim tree is a highly versatile one, that thrives in many different climates and conditions, from Zone 5 right to the low-chill associated with Zone 10. It’s also a blessing for modern houses because it may be employed in any application.
Apricot Tropic Gold
The Gold bears medium-sized golden fruits that sparkle as they dangle from the stems. This prolific bloomer flourishes in hotter climates where other apricots are unable to bear fruit. You cannot go wrong with this tree type if you want immaculate, juicy, and bright apricots.
The Tropic Gold Apricot bears an abundance of yellow-orange fruits with beautiful crimson speckles. The delicious fruit of this tree grows on weeping limbs with dense clusters. The fruits from this tree have firm, juicy, and delicious flesh.
This apricot tree is typically likened to the Royal or Blenheim types, with the only exception being that the Gold fares better in higher temperatures.
You will be unable to hold yourself from munching on these fresh fruits, but you can even use them many other ways. Tropic Gold Apricots have a high sugar content, making them ideal for canning and preserves. You can use sliced apricots to include a bit of freshness to yogurts or vanilla ice-creams, or dehydrate apricots and fruit leather to enjoy your crop at any time.
Because it doesn’t require as much cool time as other apricot kinds, the Tropic Gold Apricot tree performs better in hot climates. It only requires 300 hours to chill. This incredible tree bears fruit early in the summer, from June to July, and produces bushels of fruit.
Final Word:
To conclude, we hope that this comprehensive guide about the varieties of apricots and apricot trees, will prove useful to anyone interested in knowing more about the fruit and plant.