If you’re thinking of growing a fruit tree, apricots are one of the best.
Imagine a fresh crop of delicious, golden fruits that burst with sweetness – an iconic taste from November to January.
Before you get all your fruits, though, you’ll need to pick the right variety of apricot to grow in Australia! Some key factors to consider are climate, soil type, and space.
Popular apricot tree varieties in Australia include Divinity, Fireball, and Tilton, plus dwarf varieties Moorpark and Trevatt.
Dreaming of delicious golden fruits and sweet summers? Here are our top picks for types of apricots to grow in your garden.
Standard vs Dwarf Varieties | Factors to Consider | Standard Varieties | Dwarf Varieties | Apricot Tree Care
All About an Apricot Tree
Apricot trees (Prunus armeniaca) belong to the same Rosaceae family as other stone fruit trees like peaches and plums.
These Prunus trees typically put out pink or white flowers from late winter to early spring (August to September). Given the right conditions, the blossoms will give way to fruit.
In Australia, apricot fruit season is typically from November to February. The trees will be full of fresh fruit with a slight fuzz and a red blush.
Come autumn, the tree’s foliage will turn yellow, orange, and red, creating a colourful show. Then, since apricots are deciduous, the tree will lose its leaves as it goes dormant for the winter.
Standard vs. Dwarf Apricot Trees
When buying an apricot tree – whether from a nursery or an online shop – you’ll come across standard or dwarf trees.
The difference will be the size and where you can plant them.
Standard fruit trees should be planted outdoors, while dwarf fruit trees can be grown in pots.
About standard apricot trees
Standard apricots are considered small trees, reaching 3-6m in height (10-20ft).
Standard apricot trees have a broad canopy that’s usually as wide as the tree is tall, making them suitable for large gardens.
They’ll produce more fruits since they’re bigger, but standard-sized trees need more work to care for.
About dwarf apricot trees
A dwarf apricot typically grows to 1-3m in height (6-10ft) – about 30% of the standard size.
They come from grafting an apricot branch onto a “dwarfing rootstock,” or a dwarf-sized parent plant (such as another dwarf fruit tree). That makes them smaller and more compact.
Don’t worry, though – even if potted varieties are small, you can still savour the delicious flavour of ripe apricots!
Dwarf apricots can be just as productive as standard-sized varieties, but produce fewer in number as the trees are smaller.
What to Consider When Choosing Apricot Varieties
If you’re planning to grow an apricot tree, there are several key factors to consider when choosing the right variety!
- Local climate
- Soil type and pH levels
- Planting location in your garden
- Method of growing (potted or in-ground)
Regarding planting location, it’s important to consider the size of your garden and any existing structures.
How far apart to plant apricot trees? For a standard-sized tree, you should have a space around it that’s as wide as the canopy – for a 6m-wide tree, that’s 6m all around.
For dwarf-sized trees, have at least 3m between the pots.
Standard Apricot Varieties to Grow in Australia
If you have the garden space, a standard-sized apricot is well worth the effort to grow!
This will ensure you have a full-sized harvest of delicious stone fruits from spring to mid-summer.
Bulida apricot
Bulida apricots are a Spanish variety that has become popular in Australia for its sweet flavour and firm texture. The fruits are also great for canning and preserving!
The Bulida apricot is self-pollinating, so you only need one tree to produce fruit. The apricots will ripen mid-season, around January.
Bulida apricot trees thrive in warm, dry climates, so they’re best grown in South Australia and the valley regions of Victoria.
Castlebrite apricot
This apricot variety from California produces semi-sweet, medium-sized fruit. Castlebrite apricots have a good flavour that’s more tart earlier in the season.
If you want to use them for jams, let them ripen on the tree so they turn sweeter. The typical harvest time for Castlebright apricot trees is in December.
Unlike other apricots, Castlebrite is a “medium chill” variety, so it only needs about 500 hours at 7ºC or below for fruiting. However, Castlebrite trees can be prone to blight and brown rot.
Divinity apricot
Divinity apricots – named for their beauty – have been available in Australia since the ’50s. They’re self-pollinating and thrive in warm, dry climates.
This variety has slightly oblong fruits with a gorgeous red blush on the skin. Divinity apricot trees have early-season maturity, meaning they start ripening from late November to early December.
Due to their exceptionally sweet flavour, Divinity apricots are perfect for eating fresh or making jam.
Fireball apricot
You’ll know the Fireball apricot for its vibrant orange-red skin and sweet, juicy flesh!
Fireball apricot trees are partially self-fertile, so you can do hand-pollination or have another fruit tree nearby.
They grow to about 4m in height, but you can also get dwarf Fireball apricot trees.
The biggest advantage to Fireball apricots is that they’re low-chill, so they can grow even in warm temperate or Mediterranean climates. That makes Fireball apricot trees great for areas like Queensland.
Expect fruits from late November to December.
Goldrich apricot
Goldrich apricot trees are popular for their large, deep orange fruit and productive harvests.
This variety is only partially self-pollinating, though, so you’ll need another tree to get fruits. Some good partners include Rival or Moorpark apricot trees.
Goldrich fruits are great eaten fresh, with an intense flavour and sweetness. You’ll need to do a taste test before harvesting, though – the fruit can be very sour if it isn’t ripe yet!
Pink flowering apricot
This isn’t typically grown as a fruiting tree! Instead, the Pink Flowering Apricot (Prunus mumé) is usually grown as an ornamental plant.
Prunus mumé comes from East Asia and is also called the Japanese Flowering Apricot.
The Pink Flowering Apricot is popular for the fragrant pink flowers that can emerge as early as July! It’s the perfect feature tree to add colour to cold winters.
This variety can produce fruit, but they’re better for preserving rather than eating fresh.
Rival apricot
Rival apricot trees come from Canada and have pale apricot skin with a slight red blush.
The Rival apricot variety is self-fertile, but has a more vigorous harvest if paired with Goldrich or Moorpark varieties. Expect fruits to be ripe around mid-December.
Rival apricots turn sweet early on and reliably produce good crops. The juicy fruit is great for eating, preserving, and stewing.
Tilton apricot
Tilton apricot trees are reliable croppers, often ripening by mid to late January. The Tilton variety is a hardy tree, able to tolerate high chill and late frost – which can even help lengthen the fruiting period.
Tiltons are self-pollinating and produce medium-sized, heart-shaped apricots.
You can enjoy the sweet flavour of the fresh fruit, but Tiltons are the best apricot variety for canning and drying.
With pruning, Tilton apricot trees grow to about 4m, but they’re also available as dwarf varieties.
Dwarf Apricot Varieties to Grow in Australia
If you don’t have the garden space, opt for dwarf apricot trees!
Their sizes make them perfect for balconies, patios, and decks.
Dwarf ‘Moorpark’ apricot
Moorpark is one of the most popular apricot tree varieties in Australia, especially in dwarf form!
Moorpark apricots have a burst of rich, sweet, and slightly tangy flavour. The large fruit ripens mid-season, around December to January.
The dwarf Moorpark grows about 2-2.5m tall, so it’s perfect for pots or garden beds.
It’s a medium-chill variety, but grows best in cooler climates such as NSW, ACT, and Tasmania.
Dwarf ‘Storey’s’ apricot
The Storey’s apricot is an early-fruiting alternative to the dwarf ‘Moorpark’. It’s best known for its deep golden colour and firm, juicy fruit.
You can expect Storey’s apricot fruits as early as mid-December, but usually in January. Eat the fruits fresh or use them to make sweet, refreshing juice.
In cultivation, dwarf Storey’s apricot trees stay at about 2-2.5m in height. They do best in the southern areas of Australia, such as New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania.
Dwarf ‘Trevatt’ apricot
The Trevatt apricot is an old favourite – you’ll consistently get good fruit with pale skin and sweet, rich flavours.
Until now, Trevatt apricot trees are among the most popular varieties thanks to their prolific fruiting and low-chill requirements. Expect ripe apricots around December.
Trevatts are self-pollinating, but you can improve production with partner trees.
Even for dwarf varieties of Trevatt, expect to do some fruit thinning due to heavy harvests.
How to Care for an Apricot Tree
Proper care and maintenance are key to keeping apricot trees – and other fruit trees – healthy and happy!
That way, they’ll have a good lifespan and be productive for longer.
Growing conditions for apricots
Whether you’re growing apricot trees outdoors or in pots, make sure you have:
- Loose, well-drained soil
- Soil pH between 6.5 to 8.0
- At least 8 hours of full sun
- Out of strong winds (especially when young)
- Cool winters (down to 7ºC) and hot, dry summers
Frost, rain, and high humidity can affect pollination and lead to few or no fruits during the season.
Apricot tree care
Apricot trees aren’t too high-maintenance – the most important aspects of their care are watering and pruning.
- Water when soil is slightly dry
- Prune the apricot tree regularly when young
- Do maintenance pruning after fruiting season
- Use a high-potash fertiliser in late winter if needed
Common issues to look out for in apricot trees include brown rot, bacterial canker, silver leaf, and fruit flies.
The fruits may also attract bats and possums.
Asking About Apricots (FAQs)
Want to know more about apricot varieties? We’ve got you covered!
What is the best variety of apricot tree?
There’s no true “best variety” of apricots in Australia – it all depends on your gardening needs and growing conditions.
Divinity, Moorpark, Rival, and Tilton are all highly regarded as “all-purpose” and versatile apricot trees. Their fruits have good flavour and they’re reliable croppers.
Fireball varieties are best for early harvests, while Bulida and Trevatt are better for warmer climates.
Are all apricot tree varieties self-fertile?
Most apricot trees are self-fertile, which means they don’t need pollen from another flowering tree to produce fruit.
However, some varieties are only partially self-fertile, including Fireball and Goldrich.
Other apricots, like Rival and Trevatt, are self-fertile but more productive with other fruit trees nearby.
What is the difference between apricot Trevatt and Moorpark?
The main differences between Trevatt and Moorpark apricots are colour and ripening period.
Trevatt fruits have pale apricot skin with a red tint, while Moorpark apricots are deep orange with red and yellow blushes.
Trevatt apricots also ripen earlier (around mid-December) while Moorpark usually fully ripens by January.
What are the best companion plants for apricots?
If you’re growing apricot trees in your garden, they’ll be happier with a few plant friends!
Some good companion plants for apricots include:
You can also grow other stone fruit trees like peaches, plums, and nectarines – just make sure there’s enough space!
