Moorpark Apricot
Moorpark Apricot
History: Moorpark apricots were introduced formally some time in the 1700s at the estate of Lord Anson, a Royal Navy officer. They seem to have had a rich history previously, in Italy and England as early as the mid 1500's. They we so enjoyed, Jane Austin mentions it in her classic novel, Mansfield Park. The variety was named after Lord Anson's estate, Moor Park, and has became a staple cultivar ever since.
Why We Grow It: Moorpark apricots are a particularly popular variety due to their large fruit. The bright orange fruit is sweet and juicy, excellent fresh off the tree. They are also great for canning and drying.
Fruit Specs
Fruit Specs
Recommended Use: Canning, fresh eating, freezing
Fruit Size: Large
Storage: Keeps 2-3 weeks in the fridge
Harvest: Mid July
Growing Specs
Growing Specs
Canadian Hardiness Zone: 5
Soil Preference: Fertile sandy loam, loam, lighter clay loam - nothing very heavy. Prefers average to moist conditions with well-drained soils, avoid planting anywhere that floods for more than two weeks in the spring.
Flowering Time: Middle
Bloom Colour:
Pollination Requirements: Self-pollinating, this variety will produce fruit without an apricot tree of a different variety but will produce more and better fruit if one is present.
Sun/Shade Requirements:
Full sun (approx. 8-10 hours of sun daily)
General Growth Habits:
Vigorous with a compact and round growth pattern. Long harvest window, pick through August as fruit does not ripen all at once.
Shipping vs. Pick Up
Shipping vs. Pick Up
CLICK HERE to see how shipping compares to pick up.
Shipping: Every year we ship thousands of trees across Canada (except BC due to CFIA regulations). We carefully bag roots in damp sawdust, then box them and send them out via courrier. CLICK HERE to see our shipping policy.
Pick-up: We also have thousands of trees picked up from our nursery each year. The pick-up options is free, though you must wait until you have been emailed a confirmation that your order is ready to pick up, which will have further information such as hours, locations, etc. We really appreciate if you can make an appointment to pick up, then we can be as organized as possible during our busy season.
Size at Purchase
Size at Purchase
Our grafted fruit trees are graded into three categories, and the size includes the rootstock:
- 50-80cm whip: may have some minor branching, this grade is like a "b-grade" size tree in industry standards; we include in this price category trees that are over 1m but have some scarring or mild crookedness.
- 1m+ whip: may have some minor branching, aka feathering. This is like a typical one-year whip in industry standards.
- 1m+ branched: these trees must be over a meter and have 3 or more branches 30cm or longer, as well as a central leader. They are essentially a two-year tree in industry standards.
- For stone fruits only - 1m+ whip/branched: We have combined these grades based on the way these trees grow and are grafted. Plums, apricots, cherries, and peaches naturally tend to grow more vigorously compared to apples and are more likely to form larger trees with more branches. However, we only chip bud them so they are a one-year old tree by industry standards. Apples and pears are partially bench grafted, and using the knip-boom method the grading becomes more complicated, hence the reason they are split into different grades.
Orders that are cancelled last minute due to size (being "to small"), will still incur the applicable cancellation fees if the trees are true to our grading standards as per the agreement of sale when the order was placed.