Raintree Growing Guide
Apricots
Rich, aromatic, and incomparable when tree-ripened — but one of the more demanding fruits to grow well. Site selection and variety choice make all the difference.
AT A GLANCE
SUN
Full sun — min. 8 hours/day
USDA ZONES
5–9 (site matters as much as zone)
Chill Hours
~500–600 hrs (variety dependent)
Growing difficulty
Very Difficult — early bloom + spring frosts; unreliable in PNW
Pollination
Many self-fertile; check each variety
First Fruit
Typically 2–4 years on grafted trees
Soil
Well-drained; pH 6.3–7.2 (rootstock-dependent)
Training
Open center; espalier in marginal climates
Key Challenges
Early bloom, spring frost, bacterial canker
Why grow apricots?
Apricots (Prunus armeniaca) are stone fruits in the rose family (Rosaceae), thought to have originated in Central Asia and northern China and cultivated for at least four thousand years. They reached the Mediterranean by way of Armenia — the source of the species name — and arrived in California with Spanish missionaries in the eighteenth century. Today roughly 95% of U.S. commercial apricots are grown in California, which means a tree-ripened, fully sweet apricot from your own yard is something most Americans have simply never tasted. Commercial fruit is picked firm for shipping; a home-grown apricot left on the tree until it gives slightly to the touch is a completely different experience.
Apricots are also among the most ornamental of the tree fruits — small to medium-sized trees (typically 15–25 feet, less on dwarfing rootstock), with a graceful rounded canopy, fragrant pink-white flowers, and reddish young bark. A single well-sited apricot can serve as a yard's centerpiece while producing 30–100 pounds of fruit a year at maturity.
The single most important thing to understand about apricots is bloom timing. Apricots bloom earlier than nearly any other tree fruit — sometimes in late February. That early bloom is the species' greatest vulnerability: a single late frost can destroy an entire crop, and this can happen even in zones where the tree itself is perfectly hardy. Success with apricots depends as much on choosing a late-blooming, frost-tolerant cultivar and a sheltered site as it does on the tree itself. Read the site selection and variety sections carefully before you commit to a location.
Start here — is apricot right for your site?
Apricots are one of the most delicious fruits you can grow at home, but they are not among the easiest. When they succeed, they reward with spectacular spring bloom and rich, aromatic fruit impossible to match from a grocery store. But apricots bloom earlier than almost any other tree fruit, and that early bloom is their greatest vulnerability.
The deciding factors are not just climate zone but spring weather patterns and site character. A warm, well-drained, south-facing slope in Zone 6 may be a far better apricot site than an exposed, low-lying Zone 8 garden that catches late frosts. Before choosing a variety, honestly assess your site against these three questions:
- Does your site have good air drainage — cold air flows downhill, so avoid hollows and valley floors?
- Is your soil genuinely well-drained, or does it stay wet through winter and spring?
- Do you typically get late frost events after mid-March?
Pacific Northwest tip
West of the Cascades, treat apricots as a specialty fruit for a protected microclimate — not as a casual orchard staple. A carefully sited espaliered apricot on a warm south- or west-facing wall will almost always outperform several standard trees planted out in the open. East of the Cascades, in the Inland Northwest and Yakima Valley, conditions are far more favorable and apricots can be grown with much greater confidence.
Best and most challenging regions nationwide
More favorable regions
- Inland Northwest (eastern WA, eastern OR, Idaho)
- Intermountain West
- California (appropriate chill zones)
- Drier parts of the Midwest and interior West
- Parts of the mid-Atlantic with good air drainage
More challenging regions
- Wet maritime Pacific Northwest (west of Cascades)
- Frost-prone valley bottoms anywhere
- Heavy, poorly drained soils in any climate
- Regions with warm winters followed by late cold snaps
Rootstock and tree size
Apricot trees are grafted, and the rootstock affects not just final tree size but also soil adaptation, pH preference, and disease resilience. Choosing the right rootstock for your specific soil is as important as variety selection.
| Rootstock | Typical height | Soil preference | pH range | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lovell (peach) | 15–17 ft (maintained) | Well-drained, loamy | 7.0–7.2 | Most inland and dry-summer sites; good vigor |
| St. Julian A (plum) Smaller tree | 12–15 ft (maintained) | Heavier soils tolerated | 6.3–6.8 | More compact management; some wet-soil tolerance |
Smaller trees are easier to protect from frost, prune, thin, and harvest — a meaningful advantage for apricots in marginal climates. Keep the graft union above soil level at planting.
Pacific Northwest tip
In the wet PNW west-side environment, St. Julian A's somewhat greater tolerance for heavier soils can be an advantage — but it is not a substitute for genuinely well-drained ground. No rootstock makes a poorly drained site adequate for apricots. In eastern WA and OR, Lovell is the most common choice and performs reliably in the loamy, well-drained soils typical of the Yakima, Walla Walla, and Okanogan regions.
Choosing varieties
Variety selection for apricots is more climate-dependent than for almost any other tree fruit. The best choice in eastern Washington may be a poor choice in western Oregon. Start by matching the variety to your climate challenge — then consider flavor and use.
PNW-adapted varieties (west of Cascades priority)
These varieties are selected for reliability, later bloom, or tolerance of cool, wet spring conditions. In difficult west-side sites, choose from this list first.
| Variety | Bloom timing | Pollination | Best use | Why it works in the PNW |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puget Gold | Mid | Self-fertile | Fresh eating | Bred specifically for the PNW; one of the most reliable west-side apricots available |
| Tomcot | Early-mid | Self-fertile | Fresh, drying | Slightly more frost tolerant than many early-blooming varieties; productive in good years |
| Harcot | Mid | Self-fertile | Fresh, preserves | Canadian breeding program; improved cold tolerance and consistency across variable spring weather |
| Goldcot | Mid-late | Self-fertile | Fresh, canning | Later bloom reduces frost risk; reliable producer in a range of conditions |
| Tilton | Mid-late | Self-fertile | Canning, drying | Classic variety; later bloom is a meaningful advantage in marginal climates |
| Moorpark | Early-mid | Partially self-fertile | Premium flavor | Exceptional flavor but less consistent west of Cascades; best on a protected warm site |
Nationwide variety guide (warm, dry climates)
In favorable inland climates, variety selection can focus more on flavor, harvest window, and intended use. These varieties cover a wide range of seasons and purposes.
| Variety | Season | Pollination | Best regions | Flavor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomcot | Early | Self-fertile | Broad adaptability | Sweet, mild | Reliable and productive; good starting variety |
| Harcot | Early-mid | Self-fertile | Cold climates, inland | Sweet, balanced | Good frost tolerance; consistent producer |
| Goldcot | Mid | Self-fertile | Broad regions | Sweet-tart | Reliable producer; good for fresh and preserving |
| Tilton | Late | Self-fertile | Nationwide | Classic apricot | Excellent for drying and canning; long-proven |
| Moorpark | Mid | Partial | Warm, dry climates | Rich, complex | Premium flavor; less consistent without good conditions |
| Perfection / Improved Moorpark | Mid-late | Usually self-fertile | Warm inland regions | Very rich | Best for experienced growers in favorable sites |
âš Bloom timing is a primary selection filter
For any marginal climate — including most of the maritime PNW — bloom timing should be your first filter when choosing a variety, before flavor or use. An excellent-tasting early-blooming apricot that loses its crop to frost most years is a poor investment. Mid-to-late-blooming varieties with moderate flavor are far more satisfying in the long run.
Pollination
Many apricots are self-fertile, which makes them simpler to site than cherries or many plums. However, "self-fertile" does not mean "requires no pollinators." Bees and other insects must still transfer pollen from flower to flower within the same tree — and in cold, wet, or windy bloom weather, insect activity may be severely reduced even with perfectly compatible varieties.
- Always verify pollination requirements for your specific variety before purchasing
- Even self-fertile varieties typically produce larger crops with a compatible second tree nearby
- Partially self-fertile varieties (like Moorpark) benefit meaningfully from a pollinizer
- When in doubt, planting two trees is always safer than one
Pacific Northwest tip
West of the Cascades, bloom weather is the dominant pollination variable — not variety compatibility. Even with two self-fertile trees in good proximity, a week of cold rain during bloom can slash fruit set to near zero regardless of how well-matched the varieties are. This is another reason site selection (warmth, shelter, wall protection) matters more than almost any other variable for west-side apricot growers.
Site selection and soil
Apricots require full sun — at minimum 8 hours per day — and are exceptionally unforgiving of poor drainage. Trees planted in heavy, cold, saturated soil almost always struggle, even if other conditions are favorable. Many puzzling apricot failures trace back to soil and drainage, not variety or climate.
Soil pH requirements are rootstock-dependent: trees on Lovell (peach) rootstock prefer a slightly neutral pH of 7.0–7.2, while those on St. Julian A (plum) rootstock perform best closer to 6.3–6.8. This distinction is worth testing for before planting in sites with unusual pH.
When planting, improve the broader planting zone — not just a single rich hole — and keep the graft union clearly above soil grade. A slight mound or raised bed can help in borderline drainage situations.
Chill hours and hardiness
Most apricots are hardy in USDA Zones 5–9 and require approximately 500–600 chill hours (temperatures between 32–45°F). Chill requirements are generally not the limiting factor in most of the PNW — the issue is spring frost during or after bloom, not inadequate winter cold.
Pacific Northwest tip
Most of the PNW accumulates chill hours comfortably. The problem for apricots is not cold winters butearly warm spellsthat trigger premature bloom, followed by late frost events. An apricot in full bloom in late February or early March is extremely vulnerable to the routine cold snaps that the Pacific Northwest reliably delivers through April. Choosing a south- or west-facing wall site reduces this risk somewhat by delaying bud break slightly compared to an open-field planting — the wall's thermal mass moderates the most extreme early warm pulses.
Watering and feeding
Water young trees deeply while establishing — approximately 1 inch per week during active growth, adjusted for rainfall and soil type. Apricots tolerate brief dry spells better than they tolerate chronically wet or waterlogged soil. Always water deeply and infrequently rather than shallowly and often.
Fertilize conservatively. Excessive nitrogen produces lush, soft growth that is more vulnerable to both winter injury and bacterial disease, and it can reduce fruit quality and return bloom. If the tree is growing steadily with good color, it likely needs less fertilizer than you expect. A light application of balanced fertilizer in early spring is usually sufficient for established trees.
Pacific Northwest tip
In western WA and OR, supplemental summer irrigation typically begins in July and continues through harvest. Spring rainfall usually handles early season moisture needs — but consistent deep watering during fruit sizing in July and August is important for final fruit quality. In eastern WA and OR, drip irrigation from the start of the growing season is standard practice.
Pruning and training
Apricots are most commonly trained to an open center system — 3 to 5 strong scaffold branches arranged around a low, open framework with no dominant central trunk. This maximizes light penetration and airflow throughout the canopy, which is especially important for disease management.
At planting, select scaffold branches and remove or shorten competing wood. After establishment, annual pruning focuses on thinning excess interior branches, heading long laterals, and — importantly — renewing older fruiting wood. Apricots fruit on both one-year shoots and on older spurs, but those spurs age out over several years. Removing spent older lateral wood and encouraging new replacement growth is one of the most important long-term production practices for apricots, and one that often separates experienced growers from casual ones.
ℹ Pruning timing matters — especially for disease
Unlike apples and pears, apricots are best pruned during dry weather whenever possible. Wet conditions during pruning dramatically increase the risk of bacterial canker infection through fresh cut surfaces. In the maritime PNW, where dry windows in dormant season can be short, this may mean doing some structural pruning in summer after harvest when conditions are reliably dry — a legitimate strategy endorsed by both WSU and OSU extension for stone fruits in wet climates.
Pacific Northwest tip
For west-side PNW growers, open center training does double duty: it manages tree size for easier frost protection and improves canopy airflow, which is the single most important cultural practice for reducing bacterial canker and brown rot pressure in our wet springs. Espalier-trained trees on a protective wall can also be managed with minimal pruning on the back side, concentrating fruiting wood on the warm, sheltered face.
Fruit thinning
In good years, apricots often set more fruit than the tree can size and ripen properly. An overloaded tree produces smaller, lower-quality fruit, stresses its branches, and often skips a year or sets poorly the following season.
Thin fruit soon after natural June drop, leaving fruits spaced so each has room to size without crowding. The exact spacing varies by variety and branch strength, but a general target of 2–3 inches between fruits on a lateral is a reasonable starting point for most standard varieties. Early thinning is consistently more effective than late thinning — by mid-summer, fruit growth has already been suppressed by competition.
Harvest
Apricots are best at peak tree-ripeness — fully colored, with a gentle give when pressed — but they are delicate once ripe and bruise easily. Fruit for immediate use can be left to full softness on the tree. Fruit intended for short-term storage (a few days) may be picked slightly firm and allowed to finish indoors.
Check the tree frequently as harvest approaches, particularly for early-ripening varieties. Unlike apples, apricots do not hold long on the tree at maturity, and a few warm days can move them from perfect to overripe quickly. In cool climates, ripening may be uneven across the tree — selective picking as individual fruit is ready is better than waiting for a single all-at-once harvest.
Pacific Northwest tip
In western WA and OR, if a wet spell arrives near maturity, harvest any reasonably ripe fruit immediately — brown rot can advance very quickly in warm, wet conditions and can ruin fruit within 24–48 hours. East of the Cascades, the reliably dry summer harvest window makes this much less of a concern.
Common problems
Spring Frost & Crop Loss
High — All Marginal Sites & Critical — West of Cascades
Early bloom is the defining vulnerability of apricots. Flowers can open in late February or early March, making them susceptible to routine cold snaps that most other fruit trees would shrug off. A single hard frost during open bloom can eliminate the entire season's crop.
- Plant on warm, elevated sites with good air drainage — cold air drains downhill and settles in low spots
- Wall training (espalier) provides meaningful frost protection from reflected and stored heat
- Frost cloth or row cover can protect blooms from light frosts if applied before temperatures drop
- Accept that crop loss years are a normal part of apricot growing in marginal climates
Bacterial Canker
High — PNW West Side
One of the most serious apricot diseases in western Washington and other cool, wet spring climates. Caused by Pseudomonas syringae, it enters through pruning wounds, bark injuries, and natural openings during wet weather. Symptoms include gumming, bark cankers, bud death, shoot dieback, and in severe cases systemic decline.
Bacterial canker — amber gum oozes from infected bark and branch cankers (shown on cherry; the same gummosis affects apricot). Photo: Rosser1954 (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons — resized.
- Plant only healthy, certified stock from reputable nurseries
- Prune during dry weather to minimize infection risk through fresh cuts
- Remove infected wood cleanly; disinfect tools between cuts
- Avoid stress from poor drainage, drought, or nutrient imbalance — stressed trees are far more susceptible
- Copper sprays at leaf fall and bud break can reduce primary infection
Pacific Northwest tip
Bacterial canker is a near-universal concern for stone fruit growers west of the Cascades. For apricots specifically, it is one of the primary reasons that open-ground plantings in wet, exposed sites so often fail or decline prematurely. Wall-trained trees with improved shelter and drainage suffer significantly less bacterial canker pressure than comparable open-grown trees.
Brown Rot
High — Wet Conditions
A major fungal disease of apricot blossoms and ripening fruit, caused by Monilinia species. In wet bloom conditions it causes blossom blight and twig cankers; near harvest it can rot fruit rapidly. Mummified fruit left on the tree or ground carries the fungus through winter and re-infects the following season.
Brown rot — fruit rots, shrivels into a mummy, and erupts in tan-grey spore tufts (shown on peach, a close apricot relative; symptoms are the same). Photo: m.borden (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons — resized.
- Remove all mummified fruit from the tree and ground at the end of the season — this is the single most effective cultural control
- Improve canopy airflow through annual pruning to speed drying after rain
- Harvest promptly when fruit reaches maturity; do not let overripe fruit sit
- Fungicide applications at bloom and pre-harvest can help in high-pressure years
Gumming
Moderate — Symptom, Not a Disease
Gum exudate from bark or wound sites is not a specific disease but a stress response that can signal bacterial canker, physical injury, borer activity, or general decline. On apricots, gumming is common enough that it should always be investigated rather than ignored or treated in isolation.
- Inspect the bark, adjacent buds, and surrounding wood carefully when gumming appears
- Look for cankers, dieback, sunken bark, or boring activity
- Address the underlying cause (drainage, canker, injury) rather than the symptom alone
- Avoid unnecessary wounds that create additional infection pathways
Wet Soil & Root Stress
High — Wrong Sites
Apricots are among the least tolerant stone fruits when it comes to wet, poorly drained soils. Trees in chronically saturated ground show weakened growth, premature leaf yellowing, gumming, branch dieback, and dramatically increased susceptibility to both bacterial canker and Phytophthora root rot. Many "mystery apricot failures" are actually drainage failures.
- Improve drainage thoroughly before planting — this cannot be remedied after the tree is established
- Consider mounded or raised-bed planting in borderline drainage situations
- Match rootstock to soil conditions (St. Julian A tolerates heavier soils marginally better than Lovell)
- Avoid heavy irrigation on sites that already stay moist through spring
Seasonal care calendar
Winter
Dec - Feb
- Inspect tree structure and plan pruning — identify wood to remove
- Clean up mummified fruit and fallen debris to reduce overwintering disease
- Prune during dry windows only; avoid cutting in sustained wet weather
- Apply copper spray at dormancy to reduce bacterial and fungal overwintering
- Review site frost risk — evaluate whether frost protection measures are needed for bloom
Pacific Northwest
In the wet PNW winter, prioritize pruning during any extended dry spell rather than on a fixed schedule. Fungal and bacterial infection through fresh cuts is significantly lower on dry days. If January and February are unusually wet, consider deferring structural pruning to the post-harvest dry window in summer.
Early Spring
Feb - Apr
- Watch frost forecasts closely — bloom may arrive well before spring is settled
- Apply frost cloth over espaliers or small trees when temperatures below 28°F are forecast during open bloom
- Avoid spraying anything during open bloom — even copper sprays can harm pollinators
- Apply copper at bud swell (before blooms open) to reduce blossom blight and canker infection
- Monitor for blossom blight (brown rot on flowers) and early canker symptoms
Pacific Northwest
This is the highest-stakes window for PNW apricot growers. Bloom in western WA and OR regularly precedes settled spring weather by four to six weeks. A single overnight frost below 28°F during full bloom can eliminate the entire crop. Monitoring forecasts nightly during open bloom and having frost cloth ready is not excessive caution — it is standard practice for west-side apricot growers.
Late Spring
Apr - Jun
- Thin fruitlets soon after natural drop — space to 2–3 inches apart on laterals
- Maintain even soil moisture; avoid both waterlogging and drought stress
- Watch for and remove any shoots showing dieback or canker symptoms
- Prune lightly to remove frost-damaged or disease-affected wood in dry conditions
Summer
Jun - Aug
- Check ripening fruit frequently — apricots move quickly from ripe to overripe
- Harvest selectively as individual fruits reach full color and slight give
- Prune during this dry window where structural work was deferred from winter
- Maintain deep, consistent irrigation during fruit sizing and ripening
- Remove and dispose of any diseased or dropped fruit immediately
Pacific Northwest
Summer is the safest pruning window for PNW stone fruit growers — bacterial canker and silver leaf spore levels are lowest during dry summer conditions. If you deferred dormant pruning due to wet weather, complete it now. In eastern WA and OR, summer is also the peak harvest window; in western WA, harvest timing varies significantly by site warmth and variety.
Fall
Sep - Nev
- Remove all dropped and mummified fruit — critical for reducing overwintering brown rot inoculum
- Stop fertilizing; allow the tree to begin hardening off naturally
- Water if autumn is unusually dry before the ground freezes
- Apply copper spray at leaf fall to reduce bacterial canker and shot hole infection
- Evaluate the season's performance; consider site adjustments or variety changes if needed