Apricot Varieties

Apache

Ripens the first week in May
A delicious apricot developed by Agricultural Research Scientists in California. It boasts a sweet, delicate flavor with a pleasing aroma. The fruit is average size with a pinkish-orange skin with an orange flesh that is finely textured.

Blenheim

Blenheim is considered to be the most flavorful, best tasting apricot in production. The fruit is medium to large, yellow with orange cheek and firm, juicy, pale orange flesh and delicious flavor.

Castlebrite

Ripens in early June
One of the first apricots of the season. The fruit is medium size and turns golden yellow when ripe. It has a firm texture and a mild sweet flavor that is good for fresh eating. It is a good pollinator to help increase production on Robada even though it is self-fertile.

Chinese

The Chinese Mormon Apricot, also known as a Sweet pit or Sweet Kernel Apricot, has a very limited history, but the era that it comes into popularity may reflect on why. It begins with the Gold Rush in California and ends up at Promontory Summit, Utah Territory with the driving of the Golden Spike to join the Transcontinental Railroad. The Apricot kernels have long been used in Chinese medicine to treat colds, coughs and stomach ailments. It also traces back to the Hunza population, using the sweet pit Apricots for eating and Bitter pits varieties for oils used in cooking and lighting. Cold hardy and widely adapted the Chinese Mormon Apricot has become very popular in cold country selection doing well where other apricot varieties fail. Good flavor and texture along with heavy production are all common features of this variety. Self-fruitful but can benefit from adding another variety to pollinate.

Golden Sweet (PP#8,932)

Ripens just ahead of Patterson
Has a very nice size with an orange-yellow color. It is best for eating fresh and drying with a nice quality taste and firmness. Golden Sweet is a self-fertile tree that is productive and has a moderately vigorous growth habit.

Harcot

Harcot is considered to be one of the finest tasting apricot today. Harcot is a tremendously hardy selection introduced by the Harrow research station in Canada. The adaptability of this variety is another quality, doing well in zones 5 through 9 where once established you can expect consistent production. A good choice for colder climates where a late frost could devastate other apricots varieties. This is a beautiful, large, yellow-orange fruit with a very sweet, very rich traditional apricot flavor.

Harglow

A luminous apricot developed in Ontario, Canada especially for colder Northern areas. Harglow produces medium-size, freestone fruit with a gorgeous, bright-orange color. Harglow apricots have exceptional flavor and texture.

Helena

Ripens around June 20, slightly behind Katy, but ahead of Golden Sweet and Patterson
A USDA release apricot. The fruit is large and firm with a sweet flavor and moderate acidity. The skin color is yellow to orange with no blush. It has been known to freckle in wet Springs.

Katy

Ripens about May 28
Introduced in 1978 and continues to be a popular choice. A red-blushed fruit that is large and firm with a very good flavor. It is an early shipping variety that has low chilling characteristics.

Lorna

Lorna Apricot (Prunus armenisca sp.) Sun exposure increases red blush. Large, early ripening apricot with firm, fine textured flesh. Ripens: Mid to late May, just after Castlebright (the first commercial apricot of the season) but Lorna is twice as large. Trees consistently produce generous harvests. Suitable for backyard gardens and commercial production. Self Fertile. Freestone. Requires 400-450 hours chilling below 45º F Cold hardy to U.S.D.A. Zone 7. Breeder: Craig Ledbetter – USDA Parlier, CA

Ripens between Castlebrite and Helena
A very large and very flavorful USDA variety apricot that can be delicate and require some special handling. Requires summer pruning to achieve optimum harvest.

Modesto

Ripen about June 15
A very early and heavy producer. The fruit is large with a deep color orange and a good flavor. It has been widely used successfully as a freezing apricot.

MoorPark

Deep yellow with an orange-red blush, the Moorpark is good for all of your favorite usages, fresh eating, canning, and preserves. This is also a choice variety for drying and dehydrating.

Patterson

Patterson is a consistent, heavy producer of a large fruit that is nice and firm and highly-colored. It is a versatile apricot used for canning, freezing, drying and fresh market use. Large size, fairly round. Fair to good flavor, with not much juice. Streaked red over yellow.

Robada (PP#9,890)

Ripens June 15–20
A USDA variety with excellent color, and high blush. It has a good upright growth habit and uses Castlebrite for a pollinator.

Tilton

Ripens about July 1
An old time apricot that produces a large, somewhat elongated fruit that is light orange in color. The fruit is firm and primarily used for canning and drying.

TomCot

Coming 2022 Large orange fruit with orange flesh the Tomcot is slightly acidic with a traditional apricot flavor. Known for giving off a lot of fruit and is very consistent year to year and is early to ripen

Westley

Ripens about July 7
A very high quality apricot with good color. The fruit is very large and flavorful. It is excellent for drying as well as fresh eating.

White Knockout

Praised by many as the finest flavored apricot with its intensely sweet, This white flesh. dessert-quality apricot is truly a knockout. Eats well when firm ripe, right up to when it is soft ripe with juice dripping down your arm. Try the White Knockout Apricot Tree today and you will not be disappointed.. Apricots make one of the best looking small shade trees for your home. Fast growing with a mushroom like canopy.

Ripening dates shown are approximate for Fresno and will vary with season and location.