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: Just before Debbie’s Gold

• Second only to Sunrise (hardy to -50°F+) in terms of extreme cold resilience

Self-Fertile & High-Yielding

• Self-fertile, so no pollination partner is required

• 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

• Size at maturity: Up to 25 feet if left unpruned

• Sizes available: Vary depending on current inventory (see size options)