Apricots
Tree fruit varieties offered by Dave Wilson Nursery are selected for their firmness, good shipping characteristics and desirable flesh quality. Approximate ripening dates (for the Fresno, California area), chilling requirements and patent information are listed for each variety along with any special traits.
Rootstocks Available:
Nemaguard, Lovell, Marianna 26-24, Marianna M-40, Myro 29C, Citation
Apache
Apache, a delicious apricot developed by the Agricultural Research Service in California, boasts a sweet, delicate flavor and pleasing aroma. Apache is average in size and has an attractive pinkish-orange skin over freestone orange flesh that is smooth and finely textured. Ready to harvest in the first week of May, Apache stores and ships well. The Apache apricot requires a pollenizer such as Katy or Castlebrite.
Blenheim
A good, all-purpose freestone, the Blenheim apricot is a medium-sized, sweet, aromatic fruit with very good flavor. This early bloomer is self-fruitful and ripens in late June. This apricot has an estimated chilling requirement of 400 hours or less.
Bonny
Ripening just before the Patterson apricot, Bonny is a medium-sized, firm fruit with excellent flavor. The Bonny apricot is well suited for canning or shipping. The Bonny tree is vigorous and very productive. (U.S. Plant Patent # 11307)
Brittany Gold
The Brittany Gold apricot was introduced by Zaiger’s Genetics as a medium-sized, late-season selection that ripens in the last two weeks of June. This large, firm apricot features a sweet flavor, uniform yellow color and juicy, freestone flesh. The self-fruitful Brittany Gold tree is large and vigorous with a semi-upright growth habit. This is a very productive variety that typically requires thinning and may be resistant to pit burn. (U.S. Plant Patent # 13504)
Castlebrite
With a harvest time beginning in late May, the semi-sweet Castlebrite apricot is a reliable, early bearing variety that produces bright orange fruit with a slight red blush. The medium-sized, firm Castlebrite offers acceptable, although very tart, flavor unless fully ripe. This self-fruitful apricot has an estimated chilling requirement of 500 hours.
Earlicot
Ripening in 3rd to 4th week of May, with or slightly ahead of Castlebrite, the freestone Earlicot apricot is a large, high-colored orange fruit with firm texture and very good flavor. The vigorous, upright Earlicot tree bears reliably when planted with a pollenizer such as Katy.
Goldbar
Similar to Goldstrike in fruit characteristics and mid-June ripening time, the Goldbar apricot produces very large, light yellow-orange fruit with red blush. The freestone flesh is light orange, very firm and meaty. The Goldbar flavor is very sweet with some acidity near the skin. The vigorous Goldbar tree flowers heavily but sets a moderate crop, which increases fruit size. Goldbar requires a pollenizer such as Goldstrike. This apricot has an estimated chilling requirement of 800 - 1200 hours.
Goldstrike
Goldstrike is a regular and productive bearer of large-sized firm fruit. Goldstrike apricot has a light orange skin with a red blush and an exceptionally high-colored orange flesh. This freestone apricot ripens approximately one week ahead of Patterson in mid-June. Goldstrike is very firm and is acidic until fully ripe. It has excellent eating and shipping qualities. Goldstrike should be planted with a pollenizer such as Goldbar. This apricot has an estimated chilling requirement of 800 to 1200 hours.
Katy
Ripening in the 4th week of May, the Katy apricot features large, firm, freestone fruit with a pleasing, sub-acid flavor. A favorite apricot for warm-winter climates, Katy is self-fruitful and has an estimated chilling requirement of 200 to 300 hours.
Lorna
The Lorna apricot is prized as a very large, early ripening variety. Lorna is harvested from the last week of May when its yellow fruit is moderately sweet. Although the Lorna tree can be weak, it is self-fruitful and a good producer. Lorna is subject to pre-harvest drop of its very large fruit.
Patterson
Named after the apricot capital of the world, Patterson, California, this apricot is a standard cannery variety with firm, all-purpose fruit. The medium-sized Patterson apricot offers good flavor and is well suited for shipping, drying, or fresh use. The heavy-bearing, self-fruitful Patterson tree is vigorous and reliably productive. The Patterson apricot is harvested from mid to late June. This apricot has an estimated chilling requirement of 600 hours.
Poppy
One of the earliest apricots, Poppy is larger than other early-season apricots and offers a subtle aroma, firm flesh and a pleasing flavor. The light yellow to pale orange skin cover has a very slight tendency to crack. The freestone Poppy apricot ripens in the 3rd week of May, 5 to 7 days ahead of Castlebrite. The self-fruitful Poppy apricot tree grows vigorously to a large, semi-spreading form that bears regularly and heavily. (U.S. Plant Patent #9593)
Robada
Robada is a jumbo freestone apricot that ripens in the first weeks of June It is well suited to shipping. The Robada apricot features attractive skin color with a red blush. The deep orange flesh offers a pleasant balance of natural sugars, acids, and aromatic flavors. Robada trees are typically vigorous and productive with an open, spreading growth habit. The Robada variety requires a pollenizer such as Patterson or Castlebrite. (U.S. Plant Patent #9890)
Tri Gems
Tri Gems is a large apricot with very firm flesh that ripens ahead of Patterson in early June. Best known for maintaining good shape and texture in a canned product, Tri Gems features golden-yellow freestone flesh and has a a pronounced aroma. The vigorous Tri Gems tree bears regularly on semi-spreading branches.
