The Brittany Gold Apricot Tree is a variety of apricot tree that was developed in the early 20th century. The fruit is medium-sized and has an orange skin with a yellowish flesh. The flavor is sweet, and it can be used to make jams or preserves.

The Brittany Gold Apricot Tree was only recently developed in 2002 and is among the most sought after breeds of apricot tree. Here, you’ll learn everything you should know about the Brittany Gold apricot.

History of the Brittany Gold Apricot Tree

The apricot fruit has its origin in China. Not long after it was first discovered there by explorers from the west, the apricot made its way to Armenia, where it got its name, the Armenian Plum.

In the early 1700s, the fruit was brought to the American continent and took a foothold in Virginia, where it slowly started to become a popular ingredient in Thanksgiving-style cooking. But it took almost a century for the fruit to gain popularity all across North America.

This slow adoption was not the fruit’s fault as much as a result of the lack of settlers across the continent at that time. But as former Europeans moved across the US, they brought the apricot with them, and it has become a staple food for people of all walks of life.

With its delicious and easy-to-process fruit, the apricot gained traction People working and farming in a host of different climates needed to find ways to make the apricot suit their needs.

It is also well known that the fruit of the apricot tree is full of subtle variations in flavor, and different breeds of apricot have their own unique, subtle flavor distinctions. As a result, we have seen many new breeds of apricot develop.

Among the most recent arrivals, the Brittany Gold Apricot Tree has only been with us for a couple of decades. But it is unique among apricots.

Tree / Fruit Characteristics

Apricots are known to fruit in the Spring, and the Brittany Gold is no exception. Like all apricots, the Brittany Gold apricot must be must be picked at just the right time in order to yield up the desired texture and flavor. Its proper, uniform yellow color, large size, and firmness are all good indicators that the Brittany Gold is ready to pick.

The Brittany Gold is medium-sized, late-season fruit that ripens in the final weeks of June.

It has a sweet flavor, consistent color, and juicy, freestone flesh. It has a chill time of 500 to 700 hours. The Brittany Gold is very productive, self-fruitful, can be noticeably resistant to pit burn, and usually requires thinning.

It is a large tree and robust with a semi-upright growth pattern. This highly productive fruit tends to be best harvested in late June to early July.

Planting Zones

Most types of apricot tree will grow relatively well in planting zones 5 through 8, and some can even do well in zones 4 through 9. The Brittany Gold will do better in the warmer sections of these ranges.

It is best well known for its affinity to the climate in Fresno, California where it is hot in the summer and temperate in the winter. This is a planting zone that is well within the 8 range. If possible, try to grow your Brittany Gold apricots in the 7 through 9 planting zone range.

Size and Spacing

As one of the larger apricot trees, the Brittany Gold will grow densely with a tendency for relatively a relatively large canopy. You can prune this apricot tree it to keep it down the proportions you like best, but between 6 and 10 of distance is usually best for orchard use.

The dense clusters of fruit that it tends to grow can be either a good or a bad thing depending on the climate you are growing in. In most cases, thinning is advisable.

Pollination

Brittany Gold apricot trees can be pollinated by their own flowers, that is, the flower of the same tree- or by another tree of the same type nearby. This is one reason for the popularity of this tree. Self pollinating trees can be much easier to grow, care for, and harvest in large numbers. This makes the Brittany Gold ideal for orchards, farming, and the like. If you are growing large amounts of different apricot trees to sell the fruit, the self pollinating nature of these makes them much easier to track, gather, and organize.

Brittany Gold Apricot Tree Care

Sunlight

All apricot trees need full sun exposure. The Brittany Gold apricot tree is no exception.

Watering

In the lower extremes of planting zones, water just once a week. In the hotter planting zones, water two to three times a week. When your Brittany Gold tree is young, during the first five years, it will need one to two inches of water for each watering. Reduce that amount by half as they mature.

Pruning

Apricots fruit fall off your tree because most produce more flowers than they need.

Thin young fruits to provide room to grow. Thinning allows air circulation and helps prevent diseases.

Pruning apricot trees is important to keep them healthy. In addition to cutting dead, diseased, and crossing branches, you should shape your tree as well. Apricots fare best when pruned into a V shape.

Common Uses For Brittany Gold Apricot Fruit

Flavor: They have a velvety textured skin and unique textured flesh that has the perfect balance of sweet and tart. Thru the years, the apricot has evolved and new varieties have developed that are sweeter than ever!

Cooking: All forms of apricot can be grilled with honey and eaten with ice cream and a delicious summer treat. They make an excellent pie and are a common feature of early to mid-Fall cooking.

Eating raw: Brittany Gold apricots are a special treat when eaten raw either in a smoothie, as part of a fruit salad, or simply eaten right off the branch.

Canning / Freezing / Drying: All forms of apricot do well when canned, frozen, or dried. Brittany Gold apricots are no different. As a more bold and robust variant on the species, they have a particular flavor, that you will want to let stand out by keeping it separate from other types of apricot, at least at first.

Health Benefits The Brittany Gold Apricot

In addition to these obvious perks, apricots offer many valuable health benefits including:

High nutrition to calorie ratio
Rich in antioxidants
Believed to promote eye health
Good for the skin
Promotes gut health
High in potassium
May offer protection for the liver

Where To Buy Brittany Gold Apricot Trees?

Unfortunately, the Brittan Gold Apricot Tree can be tough to find.

Make sure to check the following online nurseries:

Conclusion

The fruit of the Brittany Gold apricot tree remains unique even among apricots as it likes to grow in the warmer regions that apricot trees prefer. It is a bit more robust as well, and these trees tend to grow larger.

You may need to do more aggressive pruning than you would normally do with this type of fruit tree due to its size and veracity. Because it wants to grow in somewhat warmer climates than other apricots, it may be more prone to disease.

So, make sure you keep an eye on those fruit clusters and aerate them to keep them healthy.

Excited for more apricot content? Then check out my apricot page for more info guides, growing tips, recipes, and more!