Fresh-picked apricots are like little golden gems discovered in your own backyard. Growing apricots at home is easy, and the apricot tree varieties available for the home orchardist is extensive.
We encourage you to explore the world of tasty homegrown apricots; once you plant a tree or two, you will be hooked on these yummy, healthy treats.
Below is our list of apricot tree varieties you can grow at home!
20 Varieties for Your Apricot Home Orchard
1. Chinese Apricot Tree
The Chinese Apricot Tree gives fruit orchardists everything you want in an apricot. Versatile and tasty, this is a great tree for beginning fruit growers.
Quick Stats:
- Chill Hours required — 700
- USDA Hardiness Zones — 5-9
- Mature Height — 15-20 Feet
- Bloom Color — Pink/white
- Pollination — Self Pollinating
- Stone Type — Freestone
- Uses — Fresh Eating, Drying, Preserving, and Canning
Purchase the Chinese Apricot Tree here.
2. Tilton Apricot Tree
Pretty pink blossoms and delicious fruit are the best way to describe the Tilton Apricot Tree. You won’t go wrong with this classic variety.
Quick Stats:
- Chill Hours required — 600-700
- USDA Hardiness Zones — 5-9
- Mature Height — 15-25 Feet
- Mature Spread — 12-20 Feet
- Bloom Color — Pink
- Pollination — Self Pollinating
- Stone Type — Freestone
- Uses — Fresh Eating, Canning
Purchase the Tilton Apricot Tree and enjoy years of apricots fresh from your garden.
3. Moorpark Apricot Tree
The Moorpark Apricot Tree is another one of the apricot tree varieties that can be grown in chilly zone 4. This tree can get massive, so consider pruning to make harvest easier or invest in a very long fruit picker.
Quick Stats:
- Chill Hours required — 600
- USDA Hardiness Zones — 4-8
- Mature Height — 12-20 Feet
- Mature Spread — 12-15 Feet
- Bloom Color — Pink/White
- Pollination — Self Pollinating
- Uses — Fresh Eating, Baking, and Canning
Purchase the Moorpark Apricot Tree and see how tall yours will grow.
4. Harcot Apricot
The Harcot Apricot Tree is an extremely large tree, perfect if you have extra space in your garden.
Quick Stats:
- Chill Hours required — 700
- USDA Hardiness Zones — 5-8
- Mature Height — 15-25 Feet
- Mature Spread — 15-25 Feet
- Bloom Color — Pink/White
- Pollination — Self Pollinating
- Uses — Fresh Eating, Drying
5. Canadian White Blenheim Apricot Tree
The Canadian White Blenheim Apricot Tree is a good, all-around apricot tree. Classic in shape, size, and production, you will love the freestone fruit fresh from the tree.
Quick Stats:
- USDA Hardiness Zones — 5-8
- Mature Height — 12-15 Feet
- Mature Spread — 10-15 Feet
- Bloom Color — Pink/White
- Pollination — Self Pollinating
- Stone Type — Freestone
- Storage — Good
- Uses — Fresh Eating, Juicing, Drying, and Canning
Purchase the Blenheim Apricot Tree to add this beauty to your home orchard, edible landscape, or as a garden specimen tree.
6. Wenatchee Apricot Tree
The Wenatchee Apricot Tree is good for northern gardeners who want a reliable apricot tree. With only a moderate amount of required chill hours, the Wenatchee is a great option for northern gardeners in a temperate microclimate.
Quick Stats:
- Chill Hours required — 700
- USDA Hardiness Zones — 5-9
- Mature Height — 12-18 Feet
- Mature Spread — 15-20 Feet
- Bloom Color — White
- Pollination — Self Pollinating
- Storage — Good
- Uses — Fresh Eating, Drying
Purchase the Wenatchee Apricot Tree and enjoy fresh from-the-tree apricots for years to come.
7. Katy Apricot Tree
The Katy Apricot Tree claim to fame is the low, low chill hour requirement, as low as 200 hours. If your weather is more temperate, this is the tree for you.
Quick Stats:
- Chill Hours — 200-300
- USDA Hardiness Zones — 7-9
- Mature Height — 15-18 Feet
- Mature Spread — 15-18 Feet
- Bloom Color — White
- Pollination — Self Pollinating
- Stone Type — Freestone
- Uses — Fresh Eating, Baking, and Canning
Purchase the Katy Apricot Tree to add to your southern home orchard.
8. Puget Gold Apricot Tree
The Puget Gold Apricot Tree is another great, all-round apricot tree. Adding one to your fruit tree garden will bring you little orbs of flavor for your fresh eating and preserving.
Quick Stats:
- USDA Hardiness Zones — 5-9
- Mature Height — 10-15 Feet
- Mature Spread — 10-15 Feet
- Bloom Color — Pink/White
- Pollination — Self Pollinating
- Storage — Good
- Uses — Fresh Eating, Preserving, and Canning
Purchase the Puget Gold Apricot Tree here to begin growing this sweet little fruit.
9. Tomcot Apricot Tree
The classic Tomcot Apricot Tree will benefit, like most apricot tree varieties, from a pollination partner. This is a great tree to plant if you are growing other apricot trees.
Quick Stats:
- Chill Hours required — 500
- USDA Hardiness Zones — 5-9
- Mature Height — 12-15 Feet
- Mature Spread — 12-15 Feet
- Bloom Color — White
- Pollination — Partially Self Pollinating
- Uses — Fresh Eating, Baking, Freezing, and Canning
Purchase the Tomcot Apricot Tree along with your other varieties from a trusted grower like Nature Hills.
10. Golden Sweet Apricot Tree
The Golden Sweet Apricot Tree is one of the classic apricot tree varieties for home orchardists. The pretty tree produces delicious fresh eating apricots. You will love the way it looks in your garden.
Quick Stats:
- USDA Hardiness Zones — 5-8
- Mature Height — 12-18 Feet
- Bloom Color — Pink/White
- Pollination — Self Pollinating
- Stone Type — Freestone
- Uses — Fresh Eating, Baking, and Drying
Purchase the Golden Sweet Apricot Tree and start growing your own golden jewels.
11. Royal Rosa Apricot Tree
The Royal Rosa Apricot Tree is perfect for a home grower where the temperature does not stay cold enough for varieties requiring high chill hours. Only requiring 400 or fewer chill hours, growers in zones 9 and 10 can keep these beauties in their yards for years.
Quick Stats:
- Chill Hours required — 400 or Less
- USDA Hardiness Zones — 7-10
- Mature Height — 15-18 Feet
- Mature Spread — 15-18 Feet
- Bloom Color — White
- Pollination — Self Pollinating
- Stone Type — Freestone
- Storage — Good
- Uses — Fresh Eating, Drying, Preserving, and Canning
Purchase the Royal Apricot Tree to grow beautiful fruits in a wide range of USDA Zones.
12. Autumn Glo Apricot Tree
One of our favorite apricot tree varieties, Autumn Glo Apricot Tree is a classic, freestone tree.
Quick Stats:
- Chill Hours required — 500
- USDA Hardiness Zones — 7-9
- Mature Height — 12-15 Feet
- Mature Spread — 12-15 Feet
- Bloom Color — Pink
- Pollination — Self Pollinating
- Stone Type — Freestone
- Storage — Good
- Uses — Fresh Eating, Baking, and Canning
Purchase the popular Autumn Glo Apricot Tree and start enjoying these gorgeous little gems, freshly picked from the branch.
13. Golden Kist Apricot Tree
The Golden Kist Apricot Tree is not only a pretty landscape tree, it can be grown as far north as zone 5. Northern gardeners will love having these fresh little fruits popping out on the tree.
Quick Stats:
- USDA Hardiness Zones — 5-8
- Mature Height — 12-18 Feet
- Bloom Color — Pink
- Pollination — Self Pollinating
- Uses — Fresh Eating, Baking, and Canning
14. Patterson Apricot Tree
If you live in Zone 4, you know finding fruit trees that are compatible with the chilly weather can be a challenge. The Patterson Apricot Tree may just be the answer to your question, “Can I grow apricots?”
Quick Stats:
- Chill Hours required — 700-1,000
- USDA Hardiness Zones — 4-9
- Mature Height — 10-15 Feet
- Mature Spread — 15-30 Feet
- Bloom Color — Pink/White
- Pollination — Self Pollinating
- Uses — Fresh Eating, Freezing, and Canning
15. Perfection Apricot Tree
The Perfection Apricot Tree is another apricot tree that can be grown in zone 4. The tree is on the smaller side making it a perfect match for a small garden or orchard where space is limited.
Quick Stats:
- Chill Hours required — 500
- USDA Hardiness Zones — 4-8
- Mature Height — 6-8 Feet
- Mature Spread — 6-8 Feet
- Bloom Color — Pink
- Pollination — Self Pollinating
- Stone Type — Freestone
- Uses — Fresh Eating, Baking, and Canning
16. Brittany Gold Apricot Tree
The Brittany Gold Apricot Tree is a great, all-round apricot tree. You will love the fresh fruit and the way the tree looks in your yard.
Quick Stats:
- Chill Hours required — 500-700
- USDA Hardiness Zones — 5-8
- Mature Height — 12-15 Feet
- Mature Spread — 12-15 Feet
- Bloom Color — Pink
- Pollination — Self Pollinating
- Stone Type — Freestone
- Storage — Good
- Uses — Fresh Eating, Baking, and Canning
17. Hunza Apricot Tree
The Hunza Apricot Tree is one of those highly desirable but difficult to find apricot tree varieties. If you are lucky enough to get your hands on one, take great care of it.
Quick Stats:
- Chill Hours required — 500
- USDA Hardiness Zones — 4-9
- Mature Height — 10-15 Feet
- Mature Spread — 10-15 Feet
- Bloom Color — Pink/White
- Pollination — Self Pollinating
- Uses — Fresh Eating, Drying
18. Harglow Apricot Tree
Finally, the Harglow Apricot Tree is great in colder zones, and produces lovely fruit.
Quick Stats:
- USDA Hardiness Zones — 4-8
- Mature Height — 12-15 Feet
- Mature Spread — 12-15 Feet
- Bloom Color — Pink/White
- Pollination — Self Pollinating
- Uses — Fresh Eating, Drying, and Canning
19. Blenheim Apricot
The Blenheim Apricot Tree is a different apricot variety from the Canadian White Blenheim.
Quick Stats:
- Chill Hours required — 500
- USDA Hardiness Zones — 5-9
- Mature Height — 15-20 Feet
- Mature Spread — 5-20 Feet
- Bloom Color — Pink/White
- Pollination — Self Pollinating
- Uses — Fresh Eating, Drying, Baking
20. Flavorella Plumcot
The Flavorella Plumcot Tree is one of those hard to find fruits and fruit trees, but it is worth the hunt to enjoy their plummy apricot flavor.
Quick Stats:
- USDA Hardiness Zones — 5-9
- Mature Height — 10-18 Feet
- Mature Spread — 15-18 Feet
- Pollination — Requires a pollination partner
- Uses — Fresh Eating, Drying
Pruning Apricot Trees
It doesn’t matter which of the apricot tree varieties you choose, every tree will benefit from annual pruning. Pruning your fruit trees helps increase yield which is, of course, our ultimate goal as orchardists.
When you prune away dead branches and cross limbs, you allow air circulation and sunshine to reach all the branches in the tree. This helps the tree to maintain good health. You can also prune your trees for shaping and size control.
Our primer on apricot tree pruning, Pruning Apricot Trees: When, Why, and How will help you determine when is the best time to prune. It will also guide you in how to prune your tree to have the healthiest possible fruit trees.
Apricot Tree Diseases
Tree diseases are inevitable, but having the correct knowledge and tools will go a long way to helping you protect your fruit trees. We grow heirloom apricot tree varieties for their taste, texture, and sense of purpose; however, they can be prone to a wide range of diseases. Commercially grown fruits tend to be less flavorful since they are bred to keep longer and travel well.
It is worth the effort to combat the common disease issues in our home orchards, because the reward is a much tastier fruit. Our Apricot Tree Diseases: How to Identify, Treat, and Prevent Apricot Tree Diseases article will help you recognize and treat these common problems.
Which Apricot Will You Plant?
No matter which one of the many apricot tree varieties you choose to grow, adding one to your home orchard will bring you years of delicious fruit and gardening joy.
Excited for more apricot content? Then check out our Apricot Trees page for more info guides, growing tips, recipes, and more!