Corbett Apricot (Spring 2027)

This is our first year growing Corbett, so everything below is secondhand until we get more long-term data from our own mother trees.

Overview

Corbett is a large "white" apricot with a blush, found in Colorado and passed around by Bob Purvis. Purvis says it's self-fruitful and very productive.

Origin and History

According to Purvis, Corbett was "found in central CO." His 2013 apricot newsletter says it came from Barry Todd's cousin's tree in Colorado. In the same newsletter he tells how a late frost wiped out Barry's crop in Littleton that year, while ten miles away his cousin Dave Corbett "had a wonderful crop of 'cots." It isn't a release from any breeding program.

Fruit and Uses

Purvis describes "a large 'white' apricot with blush on skin" with thicker skin that's "more resistant to bruising than Sugar Pearls." We don't have our own tasting notes yet.

Growth Habit and Spacing

Purvis says the tree is upright and very productive, and that it "defoliates promptly in autumn," which is a good sign for hardening off before winter. Ours are on Manchurian apricot rootstock, which makes a full size tree of about 15 to 20 feet unpruned. Plan on about 15 feet between trees, or more if you want less pruning.

Pollination

Purvis lists Corbett as self-fruitful, so one tree will set fruit. As with most apricots, another variety nearby usually helps, and Tomcot, Debbie's Gold, 3rd and Myrtle, Westcot and Morden 604 are all options.

Cold Hardiness

Purvis says Corbett "should be hardy in Zone 3b." That's his estimate, not a documented winter low, and we've listed it at 3b on that basis. We'll update it once we've wintered our own trees.

About the photo: this isn’t Corbett itself. Photos of Corbett are either under copyright or simply unavailable, so we picked the open-source image that looks closest to the fruit. Photo: “Apricot fruits on tree, Niğde 2017-08-05 01-3” by Zeynel Cebeci, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.