When You Want Something A Bit Special, An Apricot Brings That Sun-Kissed Orchard Feeling To A Proper UK Back Garden.

Early Blossom With Real Charm

Apricot blossom arrives early — sometimes while winter still has a hand on the gate — and that’s exactly why it feels so special. The flowers are soft and delicate, with a faint blush that looks lovely against bare wood, and they have a gentle, hopeful quality that lifts the whole garden. In the UK, the trick is giving that blossom a sheltered spot so it isn’t battered by cold winds or late frosts. Get the siting right, and an apricot becomes one of the most beautiful early-season trees you can grow.

  • Early Blossom With Real Charm
  • Wall Training That Makes Sense In Britain
  • A Properly Delicious Home Harvest

Apricot Trees at a Glance:

Common name: Apricot tree.

Latin name: Prunus armeniaca.

Size in UK gardens: Often 2.5–4m with pruning; smaller if fan-trained on a wall, larger if grown as a free-standing tree in ideal conditions.

Best position: Full sun, warm and sheltered — a south or south-west facing wall is ideal.

Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil; dislikes waterlogging, especially in winter.

Flowering time: Early spring (often February–March, depending on weather and variety).

Fragrance: Lightly scented blossom, usually delicate rather than strong.

Hardiness: Hardy once established, but early blossom can be vulnerable to frost.

Care level: Moderate – straightforward with good siting, but best results come from shelter, training, and a little annual pruning.
Some of our team!

Home-grown, backed by local specialists.

The Simpson’s team raises the majority of our trees here at the nursery. For varieties outside our own production, we work with independent local growers we trust - all chosen for UK climate suitability.

Apricot Tree Care at a Glance:

Planting time: As container-grown plants, apricots can be planted in most months when the ground isn’t frozen or waterlogged; spring and early autumn are usually easiest.

Watering: Water well in the first 1–2 seasons, and during dry spells in summer, especially for wall-trained trees in rain shadows.

Feeding: Mulch in spring with compost or well-rotted manure; a light balanced feed in spring can help on poorer soils.

Pruning: Best pruned in summer to reduce disease risk; wall-trained trees need a little regular shaping.

Winter: The tree is hardy, but early blossom appreciates shelter; protect flowers in severe frosts if you want the best chance of fruit.

Varieties We Usually Stock

Availability is always changing, so please check with us if you have a particular variety in mind.

Prunus ‘Early Moorpark’

Prunus ‘Golden Glow’

Prunus ‘Moorpark’

A truly romantic apricot for a warm wall—lush foliage, early blossom, and fruit that makes a garden feel suddenly Mediterranean. The flavour is sweet, rich, and fragrant when ripened properly, with that soft, sun-warmed apricot depth that feels like a treat. Ideal if you can give it shelter and a sunny spot where it can really perform.

A bright, cheerful apricot with a warm, sunny personality—best against a sheltered wall where it can build proper sweetness. The flavour is rich and honeyed when ripened well, with a soft, fragrant apricot perfume and a mellow finish. A lovely choice if you want golden fruit and a little Mediterranean atmosphere at home.

A wonderfully romantic apricot for a warm wall—lush foliage, early blossom, and fruit that makes a garden feel suddenly Mediterranean. The flavour is rich, sweet, and deeply fragrant when ripened properly, with that soft, sun-warmed apricot depth that feels like a treat. Best in a sheltered spot where it can really gather heat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes — but they’re more “best effort rewarded” than guaranteed, and siting makes all the difference. Apricots can crop very well in the UK in a warm, sheltered spot, especially trained on a sunny wall that protects blossom and boosts ripening. The early flowers are the main challenge, because late frosts can reduce fruit set. Even so, many gardeners in East Anglia and the south manage good harvests in kind years. Choose a sheltered position, keep the tree healthy and watered, and you give yourself the best chance of that proper, sweet home-grown crop.

A south or south-west facing wall is ideal, because it provides warmth, shelter and a better microclimate for pollination and ripening. In a typical Cambridgeshire garden, a sunny wall can be the difference between fruit that stays hard and fruit that actually sweetens and colours. If you’re planting free-standing, choose the warmest, most protected corner you have, away from frost pockets and strong winds. Good drainage matters too — apricots really dislike winter wet. Think “sun + shelter + drainage”, and you’re most of the way there.

You can, but it needs a genuinely large container and a bit more attention. Pots dry out quickly, especially in sunny, breezy weather, and wall positions can create a rain shadow that makes drought stress more likely. Use a big pot with excellent drainage, water regularly through spring and summer, and feed lightly in spring and early summer to keep growth steady. Pot-grown trees also benefit from top-dressing or repotting over time. The payoff is flexibility — you can place the tree in the warmest spot, and you can move the pot into shelter in sharp frosts when the tree is in flower.

Apricots are best pruned in summer rather than winter, because summer cuts reduce the risk of problems that can follow winter pruning on Prunus. Aim to keep the tree open and well-shaped, removing crossing, congested or damaged branches and letting light into the centre. If you’re training on a wall, you’ll also shorten and tie in shoots to maintain the fan shape. You don’t need to be brutal — small, steady yearly pruning keeps the tree productive and tidy. Think of pruning as gentle guidance, helping the tree put its energy into good structure and better fruit.