Westcot Apricot

Overview

Westcot is another standout cold-hardy prairie variety from Manitoba, bred for tough northern climates. Like Morden 604, it’s a cross between ‘Scout’ and ‘McClure’, but was introduced later in 1982 by Agriculture Canada at Morden, MB.

Cold Hardiness & Climate Adaptation

Hardy to: -48°F (proven in Bemidji, MN). Zone: 2. Bloom time is just before Debbie’s Gold. Second only to Sunrise (hardy to -50°F+) in terms of extreme cold resilience amongst named varieties.

Self-Fertile & High-Yielding

Self-fertile, so no pollination partner is required, although greater yields may be obtained if planted with Debbie's Gold, Sungold, Morden 604, or some of the other Prairie Province apricots.

From Bob Purvis:

“Westcot is sweet (18° Brix), with yellow-orange skin, good for fresh eating and firm enough to can. Tree vigor is moderate, growth habit is irregular but can be trained with spreaders. Average production on two 9-year-old trees in SW Minnesota was 200 lb/tree in 2010.”

Ripens in mid-July in southern Minnesota

Fruit Qualities

• Flavor: Sweet, 18° Brix

• Texture: Firm enough for canning

• Skin color: Yellow-orange

• Uses: Fresh eating, canning, and potentially drying

Tree Details

Rootstock: Grafted onto cold-hardy Manchurian apricot, which can reach up to 25 feet if left unpruned.