TILTON apricot prunus armeniaca (dwarf rootstock)

🍑 Origin & general information

• Botanical name: Prunus armeniaca ‘Tilton’.

• This is a freestone variety (the stone separates easily from the fruit).

• Well established, long-standing, appreciated for its versatile fruit (fresh, dried, canned, etc.).

🌡 Hardiness, climate, exposure

• Hardiness zones: mainly USDA zones 5 to 9, depending on the source.

• Exposure: full sun required, minimum ~6 hours/day.

• Soil: well-drained, loamy or sandy soil, moderately fertile.

📅 Flowering & harvest

• Flowering: in spring, often pink flowers (with five petals) before the leaves.

• Chill hours requirement: around 600-700 hours below ≈ 7°C.

• Harvest: mid-summer, often in July in temperate climates.

✅ Advantages

• Self-fertile: does not necessarily require another cultivar to produce fruit.

• Tasty, aromatic fruit with a firm texture and a good balance between sweetness and acidity.

• Versatile: good for eating fresh, but also for preservation (freezing, drying, canning).

• Yield: good, if properly planted and cared for.

⚠ Limitations/challenges

• Sensitive to spring frost : like many apricot trees, buds or flowers can be damaged if frost persists late into the season.

• Requires good drainage : wet or poorly drained soil is detrimental, with risks of root disease or water stress.

• Do not expect a very abundant harvest in the early years. Like many fruit trees, Tilton takes a few years to become fully productive.