These Manchurian apricots, whose genetics trace back to Northeast Asia, are among the cold-hardiest apricots available. The original mother trees come from a particularly frigid area in North Dakota and have survived temperatures as low as -45°F, and potentially even -50°F — making these true Zone 2 apricots.

Variable but Promising Flavor

The one caveat with Manchurian apricots is flavor variability. Because these are open-pollinated seedlings, the fruit quality can differ from tree to tree:

• Some fruits may lean sour

• Others develop sweeter notes, especially if left to fully ripen on the tree

If you're selecting for resilience over uniform flavor, these are a fantastic choice.

Dual-Purpose Use: Rootstock or Orchard Tree

These seedlings can also be used as cold-hardy rootstock for grafting more refined varieties like:

• Westcot

• Brookcot

• Or other cold-adapted apricots

Bud grafting is best done in early August.

Pollination & Bundling Info

While apricots are partially self-fertile, better fruit set generally occurs with some pollen diversity. Since these are genetically unique seedlings, each plant can serve as a pollenizer for the other, ensuring effective cross-pollination.

• Available as: Bundles of 2

• Size: 2–3 ft. tall seedlings