Prunus armeniaca 'Wenatchee Moorpark' (Apricot)

Wenatchee Moorpark is Washington-bred Moorpark seedling selected at Wenatchee, large freestone golden-orange apricot with classic Moorpark aroma and Pacific Northwest cold hardiness. Prunus armeniaca is the cultivated apricot, originating in Central Asia, northern China and grown for centuries for its fruit. It is not native to North America.

Bloom and harvest in the PNW. Bloom is mid-spring (April), later than most apricots, with fruit ripening mid to late July in Oregon and Washington orchards. Site in full sun with good air drainage to reduce disease pressure.

Pollination. Wenatchee Moorpark is self-fertile: a single tree will set fruit. Compatible partners (self-fertile (excellent pollenizer for Puget Gold and other apricots)) increase yields.

PNW disease and care. Wenatchee Moorpark is the standard apricot for eastern Washington and Oregon and a strong choice for warm sites west of the Cascades. Self-fertile but yields better with Puget Gold or Moorpark nearby. The species-level disease pressures to plan for are brown rot, bacterial canker, and shothole. Apricots bloom very early so spring frost can wipe out a crop; choose late-blooming PNW cultivars (Puget Gold, Wenatchee Moorpark, Moorpark) for west of the Cascades.

Native fruiting alternatives: If you also want to support PNW birds and pollinators with regionally native fruit, consider Amelanchier alnifolia (Saskatoon serviceberry), Vaccinium ovatum (evergreen huckleberry), Malus fusca (Pacific crabapple), or Prunus virginiana (chokecherry). These provide bird food, pollinator support, and Indigenous food heritage in your landscape alongside your orchard fruit.