Pixie Cot is a groundbreaking dwarf apricot that brings orchard-quality fruit into even the smallest spaces. This Zaiger introduction reaches just eight feet tall, making it easily maintained and perfect for backyard growers who thought apricots were beyond their reach. The abundant medium-sized fruit has a bright orange skin and delivers a delicious flavor that rivals full-sized varieties. Hardy in zones 6 through 9, it requires only 600 chill hours and is expected to perform well in any region where apricots thrive.
Full Sun
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6-9
120in H x ?in W
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High
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Pixie Cot represents a genuine breakthrough for space-conscious growers: a miniature apricot that produces abundant fruit without demanding a sprawling tree. At eight feet tall, it stays manageable and easy to maintain while delivering medium-sized apricots with vibrant orange skin and genuine flavor complexity. This is a tree designed for real home gardens, not just novelty value.
As a fresh apricot, Pixie Cot suits all the traditional uses: eating fresh off the tree, canning, preserving, or drying. The medium fruit size and abundance make it particularly suited to home preservation projects where smaller yields from dwarf trees might otherwise seem impractical.
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Pixie Cot is a bare-root or container tree best planted in early spring or fall. Space the tree with room for its mature eight-foot height and spread. Plant so the graft union sits slightly above soil level. Water deeply after planting and mulch to establish the tree quickly.
Harvest Pixie Cot apricots when the fruit reaches full bright orange color and yields slightly to gentle pressure. Pick by hand, twisting the apricot gently until it separates from the branch. Mid to late summer typically brings the harvest, depending on local conditions. Apricots do not continue to ripen after picking, so wait until fully colored on the tree for best flavor.
Pixie Cot's miniature form requires minimal pruning to maintain its eight-foot height. Remove any crossing or damaged branches in late winter. Light annual pruning after harvest keeps the tree open to light and air circulation, which improves fruit quality and reduces disease pressure.
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“Pixie Cot is a new introduction from Zaiger Genetics, a legendary breeding program known for developing innovative dwarf fruit cultivars. This variety represents the cutting edge of apricot breeding, engineered specifically to bring productive apricot growing within reach of gardeners with limited space. At the time of its introduction, the variety was still in patent pending status, indicating it was a recent and proprietary development not yet widely distributed across the country.”