Check out this scientific abstract I found.
The study found Zard the most cold-hardy and latest blossoming of the bunch they tested.
This would confirm Scott’s observations on Zard’s late blossoming.
Hargrand, Harlayne and Harglow are listed as runners-up.
This would confirm @alan’s observations on Hargrand being a rugged survivor, and Harglow being a late bloomer.
Don’t try those types in a low to medium chilling area. They need a long cool/cold winter to even flower.
They may be better than average, but I’ve had both Hargrand and Harlayne die on me. Montrose seems the most likely to produce from what I’ve been growing, though hopefully Zard will exceed it (I have a graft, but it hasn’t flowered yet). After the cold snap this spring, Montrose was 95%+ of my fruit set, with very little for any of my other apricots (1 Tomcot, 0 Orange Red, etc). I still only got a handful, but that was because bugs and animals also like apricots.
Note- I have two Montrose, on opposite sides of the yard (1 on North side of house, other on a rock wall with SW sun exposure), with other apricots near each. Both Montrose trees had some fruit-set.
From Burnt Ridge (where I got it from):
MONTROSE APRICOT (Armeniaca vulgaris)
Discovered at 6,000 ft elevation near Montrose, CO. This is a late blooming, hardy tree with good disease resistance, and is self fruitful. Produces yellow, sweet, flavorful, egg sized apricots that are semi freestone. Inside the pit the edible, almond-like kernel is sweet. Montrose Apricot deserves wide testing in Northern areas where it is likely to be best adapted. Late summer ripening due to its late blooming.
Hi! I’m in 7a, I have Tomcot and Harglo. Harglo takes a number of years to fruit and hang onto it. It is not my favorite tasting apricot, but it is good. Tomcot, which I had my very first taste of this year was excellent. The only thing I can say from my experience with these two trees, is that they grow beautifully and quickly and mine bloomed starting their second year. The only lack of control I had, was over the late spring frosts that instantly killed the blooms. If we wouldn’t have late spring frosts I would have had more apricots! The trees are strong as well.
To get any clarity at all about survival rates, you have to deal with many trees at many sites over many years (as I realize that a scientist like you already know this). I have absolutely no experience with Montrose, so your experience with it interests me, but I’m guessing if the pit is edible, squirrels will become a factor if unprotected. As far as relative surviveability, I will be pleasantly surprised if your experience with it is indicative of the ultimate reality, unless it flowers later (comes out of dormancy) than other varieties. It was not specifically bred to survive in a humid climate, and lots of apricots in the west survive in environments with more drastic weather swings that what we experience here- somehow, humidity seems part of the problem although I think a scientific explanation has not been discovered.
It was after over 20 years of growing Hargrand at several sites that it finally became apparent to me that it was the best survivor of any I grow. I don’t even know how many of them I’ve lost, but at sites where I’ve lost several, Hargrand is often the only survivor.
As much as I like testing things, I’m not a scientist- just an engineer (a practical scientist 
).
Yes, I agree that my experience isn’t enough to predict survival, something which is sporadic and somewhat chancy. Though I would consider it very slightly better than neutral.
The bigger positive is the likely-hood of getting fruit in years with spring frosts. We seem to have quite a few of these now, so it is becoming an important characteristic. I would suggest that my anecdotal data is encouraging because:
1.) Both Montrose trees had fruit set when none of the other Apricots did
2.) Different parts of the yard helps eliminate localized condition (like right up against house, etc).
3.) The bloom did seem later for Montrose than the other varieties, something that Scott has seen as well (though I’m not sure if his Hoyt Montrose is the same as the Montrose I have):
From 2nd Link:
I have high hopes for Zard. Not only do I love white apricots (never from my own yard yet…), but the later bloom and high brix sound great.
Scott isn’t the only one who has noticed Zard:
The central Asian cultivar called Zard is the latest blooming apricot currently in our collection
(Figure 1). It typically blooms about 7 to 10 days later than our latest European-type apricots,
which is as late as our earliest peaches. Zard is reported to be more tolerant of frost and have a
higher heat requirement than other apricots. Zard ripens about 2 weeks after Harcot. The fruit
are small, 3.5 to 4.0 cm (1.4 to 1.6 inches), and green-yellow when soft ripe. The flesh is soft,
juicy and very sweet with soluble solids between 22-24%.
I think animals are a problem for any apricot, at least in my yard. I had the same problems with Tomcot before my main tree died. I don’t think I have that many squirrels, but the army of raccoons and chipmunks pick up whatever slack they leave. I must catch 15-20 raccoons, 3 possums, and 2 skunks for each squirrel. Though that could be a factor of the trap size I use- maybe squirrels don’t trip it as easily.
Bob,
Interesting article. Neat to discover that OrangeRed is a child of Lasgerdi Mashhad.
My experience has been that NE squirrels are very cautious.
Yes, if Montrose flowers later that could be a plus. However, there’s also a good chance that the years when it has crop and others don’t are rare. That is my experience with Harglow, which flowers a week later than other cot in the series. Come to think of it, the only Harglow I manage has survived at its site for 20 years. Rarely produces fruit, though.
Bob, my impression of Zard has dropped a notch or two recently, the blooms survived the last two years but it didn’t end up producing many fruits (I think I got one this year and a couple last year). Montrose didn’t produce many more but I have only a tiny bit of it (rectified this spring with a whole new tree of it).
Usually when Zard blossoms a lot I get a good set, but the last two years it hasn’t been frozen out but it has been close to it and the set has not been any good. It reminds me of Japanese plums like Santa Rosa, it doesn’t seem to like to set when its cold.
Anyway, its definitely worth a go but the verdict is still out on it. Hoyt Montrose has been tested all over the country and done well, the Apricot Interest Group of NAFEX has had quite a few positive reports on it over the years.
Holly,
Just wonder if you ended up planting an apricot tree. If so, what variety, please?
@scottfsmith, what is your opinion on Florilege two years later, please?
I am cautiously optimistic about my apricot grafts this year. Tomcot, Orangered and Robada all have flower buds on them as of today. There is still a whole month of April and the first half of May to deal with weather-wise.
Hi mamuang,
Indeed I planted two:
Both grew nicely the first year in the ground, and had a bunch of what looked like flower buds on them in the spring of year 2. But these kind of dried up and crumbled off; late freeze maybe? Then a bunch of leaves came out and they were looking good, until one day they up and died suddenly. See this thread:
The Tomcot stayed dead, but the rootstock of the Hargrand (Pumiselect) sent up some shoots and ended up growing like 2 meters last season. I was tempted to graft on a new apricot, but I feel like if two apricot varieties on two different rootstocks from two nurseries died in year 2 it doesn’t make for a promising future for apricots at least in this location. Blah!
Instead I’m going to plant some jujubes in these spots this spring. I’ve been sucked in by all the enthusiasm in the juju threads
It freezes out as well as all my other apricots 
I had a bad two years in a row there.
Hopefully this year I will finally get some apricots. I think I did get one Florilege last year which was excellent. I also got one of a few other varieties.
Thank you, Scott. I used to think growing peaches is a challenge. It seems trying to get fruit from apricots is even more challenging 
I have had the same thing happen to my apricots— all on Citation— dead. Heartbreaking.
Last year I planted Hargrand on Manchurian… and added Zard on top.
I soon will plant Westcot on Manchurian as well.
We’ll see what happens…
Here the difference between sites is great, even if the trees seem fragile everywhere. Some sites provide a harvest 60-70% of seasons while in my own orchard I’ve only been successful by growing them against the walls of my house. However, from them I have the most reliable cropping of any aps I manage. I’m still looking for the perfect site on my property not next to my house and just put two on the best spot for blocking low southern sun to attempt extending dormancy. Interestingly, the trees are not especially fragile on my property, just the flowers are.
Alan,
Can you expand a bit more about a perfect site for apricot should look like? The type that could help delay flower buds from breaking dormancy early.
May be I could find such a site in my friend’s yard!!!
Holly,
Sorry to hear about the lossses. It even stinkier to lose two trees of the same kind of fruit together. It seems apricot trees and unexplained death are not uncommon.
I don’t have an apricot tree so I grafted apricots on my peach and nectarine trees. Some in 2016, more in 2017. They have grown like weeds. Not all apricots are graft- compatible to peach rootstocks, though.
What I like is how fast they produce flowers, the next year of grafting.
What I don’t like is how early they flower considering fluctuating temp we have had.
Re.jujube. I love the taste of honey jar and sugar cane. Not so much of Shanxi li as they tasted drier and spongier but I hope taste will improve as the trees are maturing. If you have an Asian market nearby, you may want to look for them for your family to try. My husband and my daughter do not like the taste. Well, there are more for me 
My Asian friends all love them.
Shade helps extend dormancy, but fruit trees need bright sun to ripen good fruit, so if you can’t protect a tree from hard frost by using the southern or eastern wall of a house the next best thing is to find a location that shades the low sun after the equinox but provides good light when the sun is higher. I suppose a conifer could be strategically planted directly south of a cot and kept at the perfect height to accomplish this but I put my two trees on a part of my property that is naturally shaded in this manner by existing forest trees.
Fortunately, due to the topography, those forest trees don’t have roots where the cots are growing. Otherwise I’d probably have to prune their roots to get the cots established.
Thanks.
@BobVance, @mrsg47, @HollyGates, @SMC_zone6,
It’s my first year of apricot blooming. I am excitedd butvwas not sure if the fruit would hang on because many dried uo and fell off.
That led me to be reluctant to thin. Apricot set fruit earlier and were attacked by tent caterpillers. By the time I got BT and sprayed, I saw a lot of dimples. I think it’s caterpiller because I cut those scars up. They were only skin deep.
Sine I was not sure if fruitlets would drop so I Let them hung on quite long. I just thin today, all different sizes.
Robada is the biggest and most precocious. Then, Tomcot, Orangered. I think I may have a few Moniqui but I know I have one Zard. I hope I can protect that one 
slight_smile:
