Apricot, Goldcot, Bare Root

Goldcot Apricot (Prunus armeniaca)

Goldcot is a Michigan-bred apricot with golden skin and firm, golden-orange flesh. Its balance of sweetness and tang makes it useful fresh and in preserves.

Key Characteristics

Golden freestone fruit

The flesh separates from the pit when ripe, making kitchen preparation easier. Pick when the fruit develops good aroma and yields slightly to gentle pressure.

A cold-hardy breeding background

Goldcot was selected for northern growing conditions and has a relatively high chill requirement. Winter hardiness does not protect open apricot flowers from a late freeze.

One tree can produce fruit

Goldcot is self-fertile, so a second cultivar is optional. An airy site, thinning, and brown-rot sanitation still matter when growing a useful crop.

Pollination Partners

Self-fertile; a second tree is not required. For a broader harvest, consider Harogem, Moorpark. Cross-pollination depends on overlapping bloom, not matching harvest months.

Rootstock and Mature Size

Plan for approximately 15–20 feet at maturity, depending on site and pruning. The offered variant identifies the rootstock; keep the graft union above soil level and remove rootstock suckers.

Product Details

• Sun: Full sun to light partial shade; full sun is best for fruiting.
• Soil: medium to medium-dry, well-drained soil; avoid standing water.
• Mature height: Approximately 15–20 feet; see rootstock and pruning guidance above.
• Bloom: Early spring; pink buds opening to white flowers.
• Fruit: Golden-yellow skin and firm orange-yellow freestone flesh; sweet-tart flavor.
• Uses: Fresh eating, jam, canning, baking, and drying.
• Ripening: June–July; later in cooler areas
• Chill hours: Approximately 800 hours.
• Pollination: Self-fertile; no second tree required.
• USDA hardiness: Zones 4–8.

General Apricot Orchard Guidance

A good start

Choose well-drained soil and enough room for the mature tree. Water consistently while roots establish, mulch with space around the trunk, and keep vigorous grass and other competitors away from the young root zone.

Fertility and fruit-tree guilds

Use a soil test to guide lime and fertilizer rather than feeding heavily by default. Our Tree Planting Kit fertilizer blend is an optional planting supplement; keep concentrated fertilizer away from bare roots and avoid excess nitrogen.

Interested in permaculture and stacking functions around your fruit trees? Explore our fruit-tree guild guide for ideas on combining plants for flowers, ground cover, and mulch while giving your tree room to grow.

Practical pest and disease care

Apricots flower early, so choose a site with good cold-air drainage and avoid low frost pockets. Remove mummified fruit, prune for airflow in dry weather, and monitor for brown rot, bacterial canker, and fruit-feeding insects. Thin heavy crops and keep irrigation consistent as fruit develops.