Apricot Varieties

BEBECO Aka Cape Bebeco, Bebeko Bebekou .  It originates from a random seedling selection obtained from Mr. Bebeco’s field who is a producer in the area of Argolida-Greece.

Bentley  Very similar to Glengarry, this local selection originates from just outside Kyogle A hardy tree, that comes into fruiting early and produces good crops of good quality, medium sized apricots. well adapted to local conditions. 450 hours chill required.

Blenheim (Royal Blenheim)   According to pomological literature, Blenheim originated at Blenheim, England, and Royal in the Royal Gardens, Luxemburg, France. The ‘Royal’ apricot tree is the result of a sowing of the ‘Pêche de Nancy’ apricot carried out by the director of the Jardin du Luxembourg in 1813.  The two cultivars, as grown in California and the Pacific Northwest, appear to be identical .  Yellow to orange-yellow. Fruit is medium-large with an orange flesh that is freestone, juicy and aromatic. Flavour is sweet and sprightly with a firm texture. It is equally valuable for canning, drying or fresh use. Early blooming. Self-fertile. Tree is very productive and can be used as a polliniser                                                                                              

Brillianz  A self-fertile sweet apricot with good-quality fruit, suitable for eating fresh, preserving, drying, etc. A more modern relative of Moorpark

Bulida  is a Spanish apricot tree variety from 1940. It is very hardy and a heavy cropper. The fruit is large, firm, yellow-orange without a red blush, very sweet, free-stone, and juicy with melting flesh, though not with a strong apricot flavour , It is self-fertile. It has  medium to low chilling requirements well adapted too summer rainfall regions and has a good resistance against splitting.

Castlebrite tested as Klll- 6, originated from open-pollinated seed of B60-12 (Perfection x Castleton) collected in 1968 at the U.S. Horticultural Field Station, Fresno, CA.  by J.H. Weinberger, Agr. Res. Serv., USDA. The semi-sweet Castlebrite apricot is a reliable, early bearing cultivar that produces bright orange fruit with a slight red blush. The medium-sized, firm fruit offers acceptable, full flavour, although very tart and sweet, unless fully ripe. Trees are vigorous.  Around 500 chill hours

Castleton  1963  USDA 1st adapted apricot with pit burn resistance

Divinity A South Australian variety developed in the1950’s. 4m tall and wide. Good, regular crops of deep orange coloured fruit with sweet and juicy flesh.  Use for fresh fruit, jams, preserving, juice. A very good early ripening variety. Self-Fertile

Earli Sun originated as a single bud sport or limb mutation of the `Castlebrite` cultivar.  freestone fruits which are substantially similar in colour and appearance to those of `Castlebrite` cultivar, yet are significantly larger in size, being ripening approximately two days later than those of the `Castlebrite` cultivar, and are markedly lower in the acidity of the flesh at harvest.

Fireball   Early relatively low chill

Firebrite old high chill variety

Glengarry Believed to have been developed by George Case in the East Kurrajong area. heavy cropping variety with small pale golden fruit and a slight blush, great flavour and perfect for eating fresh or used in cooking. Glengarry apricot has a low chill requirement of 250 hours 

Goldrich released in 1954. It is a cross between Sunglo and Perfection varieties. The fruit is large and oval with nearly equal halves of bright orange, waxy skin with almost no blush. The fruit has a fine texture with excellent flavor. Trees are cold hardy, vigorous, and productive. Goldrich apricot tree requires pollination. Note that it cannot be pollinated by Perfection tree variety

Harcot.  Introduced 1977 at Harrow, Ontario, by R.E.C. Layne, Agriculture Canada.  Tree: large, upright to spreading, vigorous, hardy to -25F.  Fruit size over 2”, early ripening, orange with red blush; flesh orange, very sweet, fine textured, juicy, freestone.    Fruit sometimes splits on the distal end when ripe.  Sweet kernel.  Grown commercially in SW Michigan and Ontario.  Self-fruitful.

Harogem :   Orig. in Harrow, Ontario, R.E.C. Layne, released in 1979, tree is medium vigor, spreading, consistently productive, self-fruitful, proven to be a good pollenizer of Harlayne in MN and western NY, hardy to -34F.   Fruit is medium sized, glossy red blush on bright orange background, very firm, moderately juicy, smooth texture, good flavor, freestone, ripening a few days before Hargrand and Harglow.  Fruit keeps very well in the refrigerator.

Helena:  USDA-ARS introduction from CA, introduced in early 1990s.  Tree is self-fruitful, extremely productive, upright to spreading growth habit, ripens with Sugar Pearls.  Fruit is blocky, firm, yellowish-orange skin and flesh, size about 1.8”, very good flavor, 

Hunter  from South Australia around 1966. A late season cropping Apricot variety that produces large, firm, orange fruits that are plump and full-flavoured.  Self fertile

Moorpark originated in England back in 1668 and produces large fruit of excellent flavour.

Newcastle a California seedling which originated in the orchard of 0. M. Silva & Son of Newcastle, Placer county. It was first noticed in 1881

Oullin’s Early Peach–  larger and more juicy

Patterson is named after the apricot capital of the USA, Patterson, California, this apricot is a standard cannery variety with firm, all-purpose fruit. Medium-sized and offering good flavor, Pattersonis well suited for shipping, drying, or fresh use. The heavy-bearing, self-fruitful tree is vigorous and reliably productive. Estimated chilling requirement 600 hours.  It ripens approximately 10 days before Tilton

Peeka was developed and released in South Africa in 1966, by crossing ‘Bulida’ and ‘Royal’ varieties. This freestone cultivar produces good crops and ripens from mid to late December, and the small to medium sized fruit has yellow to orange skin and flesh.  Med chill

Perfection A chance seedling originated by J. Goldbeck, Waterville, Washington, USA, in 1937. ripening a few days earlier than Blenheim.  One of the finest commercial apricots, Perfection bears moderately early and produces large fruit. The flesh and skin are colored a bright orange-yellow and the fruit has firm texture and is a good shipper. Requires cross-pollination, but will not pollinate Goldrich.

Piet Cillie 1974 a variety of apricot developed at the Research Institute for Fruit and Fruit Technology in South Africa. It was named the Piet Cillie apricot in his hour. This variety tastes superb even we pick them slightly under, the fruits ripen beautifully on windowsill. A favourite among our members

Rival  A Canadian variety of apricot, similar to Goldrich. Produces a large tree with a bountiful number of large superior succulent fruit. Orange with a red cheek. They may grow on a trellis, but will want to grow larger than a Moorpark. Requires a Goldrich or Moorpark for pollination.

Royal  see Blenheim

Roxburgh Red New Zealand – the famous Roxburgh red apricot tree was first planted in 1866

Sal  Low Chill Apricot selected by the late Carlo Berra. Medium size, brightly orange coloured skin, with sweet, juicy fruit.  Around 400 hrs of chill needed

Skaha (Summerland British Columbia)originated as a seedling of Perfection in 1955 and was named in 1973.  The fruit resembles that of Perfection, but is of better quality. The flesh is moderately firm and good in flavor

Storey  a fast-growing, early-fruiting version of the Moorpark Apricot. This variety produces large, golden fruit with some red blush. Flesh is deep yellow and firm. 

Sundrop  Open-pollinated seedling of ‘Perfection’, tree is vigorous, moderately hardy, very productive.  Fruit size is medium, round, skin bright orange, flesh firm, good for fresh eating

Tardif de Bordaneil aseedling found in the Eastern Pyrenees Orientales 1970 . Self-fertile, vigorous and fertile variety. Fruit large to very large, slightly oblong, light orange covered with an intense red area. Firm, excellent and juicy flesh, sweet and fragrant. One of the latest known varieties along with ‘Helena’.

Tilton A chance seedling found by J. S. Tilton near Handford, California, USA, in 1885. It is heart-shaped, golden-yellow fruit with sweet, fine flesh. The Tilton apricot tree is a vigorous, productive tree that’s self-fertile, best variety for canning and drying, but is also delicious fresh off the tree

Trevatt comes from Mildura around the early 1900s

Wenatchee (Moorpark) Originated as a seedling at Walla Walla, Washington, USA

Richard Pittaway