Standard Apricot
Tomcot Apricot is a vigorous tree that produces enormous orange fruits, the earliest-ripening apricots in most gardens. Developed by Washington State University fruit breeder Tom Toyama from a cross made in 1970, this cultivar grows 12 to 16 feet tall and thrives in hardiness zones 5 through 9. The firm orange flesh is equally delicious eaten fresh or dried, making it a remarkable dual-purpose variety that extends your apricot harvest from the very beginning of the season.
15-20 feet apart
Full Sun
—
5-9
192in H x ?in W
Perennial
High
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Tomcot produces unusually large fruits that ripen earlier than almost any other apricot variety, giving you ripe harvests when other gardeners are still waiting. The firm flesh holds up beautifully whether you bite into it fresh or dry it for later, and the tree's vigor means you'll have abundance rather than a modest crop. Plant it alongside a late-ripening apricot to ensure cross-pollination and stretch your harvest across months.
Tomcot apricots excel both as fresh eating fruit and as dried apricots. The firm flesh resists bruising during harvest and transport, making these fruits more practical for home preservation than softer varieties. Fresh, the fruits are substantial enough to showcase on a dessert plate or slice into a salad. For drying, the large size means you get more usable fruit per tree, and the flesh dries evenly into deeply flavorful dried apricots.
Plant bare-root or container-grown trees in early spring or fall, positioning them in full sun with at least 15 to 20 feet between trees. Dig a hole slightly wider than the root ball, backfill with amended soil, and water thoroughly. Young trees benefit from afternoon shade during their first summer in very hot climates.
Pick Tomcot apricots when they're fully orange and yield slightly to gentle thumb pressure, typically in early to mid-summer depending on your zone. The fruits ripen over several weeks, so plan to harvest multiple times as they reach peak ripeness. Handle them gently since even firm flesh bruises if dropped; they store best when picked into a padded basket.
Prune Tomcot in late winter while dormant to shape the tree and remove crossing or diseased branches. Maintain an open center form to allow sunlight to reach all fruiting wood. Avoid heavy pruning after the first few years; these vigorous trees need only modest maintenance to stay productive.
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“Tomcot emerged from deliberate breeding work at Washington State University, where fruit breeder Tom Toyama created the cross in 1970 that would eventually become this variety. Rather than a chance discovery or heirloom passed through families, Tomcot represents mid-20th century horticultural science applied to solve a real problem: giving home gardeners access to large, early apricots that taste exceptional. The variety's development reflects a shift toward creating cultivars with specific ripening times, allowing gardeners to engineer their own extended harvests.”