Compacta® apricot trees
Prunus armeniaca Compacta is a naturally-dwarf apricot, probably the best choice if you want to grow an apricot in a small space.
This is the apricot variety featured on BBC Gardeners' World in October 2017. However we do not recommend growing this tree in a container, even though this was suggested in the programme.
The fruits are orange, and the stone comes away cleanly from the flesh (freestone).
It is slow-growing and should not get taller than about 2m.
The blossom is also reasonably frost-resistant.
Compacta apricot trees for sale
Pot-grown
All our pot-grown trees are grown for us to our specification by the Frank P Matthews nursery.
All pot-grown trees are suitable for planting out in the garden, some are suitable for growing in containers.
PG12-year bush-trained 12L pot-grown tree St. Julien rootstock£65.50
Grown for us by Frank P Matthews nursery
Small tree
(1.5m-2.5m after 10 years)
Need help? Ask our fruit tree experts
Call us on 01759 392007 or fill in our contact form.
Tree specification
Photos of trees as supplied |
Tree sizes and forms
Next deliveries
Order now for delivery from week commencing 24th February.
Delivery charges
Delivery for a single tree starts at £9.95, it is calculated based on your postcode.
Growing and Training
Like all apricots, Compacta should be planted in full sun, and sheltered from wind and rain. The ideal is to plant the tree directly in the ground about 1m-2m or so in front of a south-facing wall, but any sheltered situation exposed to the south should be suitable.
It also helps if you can keep the rain off the tree over the autumn and winter, e.g. using a horticultural fleece.
We strongly recommend that you plant this tree directly in the ground, and when planting the tree do not use compost in the planting hole.
Compacta is not really suitable for growing in a container. If you wish to grow it in a container make sure you use a very large one, at least 200L-500L, and the compost / soil mix should have plenty of grit to ensure free drainage.
History
Apricots usually become quite large vigorous trees, but as the name suggests, Compacta was developed from the start to be a small tree, suitable for growing in small gardens. It is a cross between an American variety called Moongold and an un-named research variety developed by the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station.
Compacta characteristics
- Gardening skillExperienced
- Self-fertilitySelf-fertile
- Flowering group3
- Pollinating othersAverage
- Climate suitabilityTemperate climatesWarm climates
- Picking seasonMid
- CroppingGood
- Keeping (of fruit)1 week
- Food usesEating freshCulinary
- Country of originUnited States
- Period of origin2000
- Blossom colourWhite
- Fruit colourOrange
- Flesh colourGolden / Yellow
British-grown trees 
Unlike many garden centres and online retailers, the vast majority of our fruit trees are grown in the UK.
Find out more.
In addition, all our trees are certified under the Plant Healthy scheme, supervised by the Plant Health Alliance.
Other stakeholders include Defra and the RHS. The scheme aims to improve UK biosecurity by setting standards
for all growers and retailers involved in selling plants in the UK.
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Guaranteed fruit trees
When you buy your fruit tree from Orange Pippin Fruit Trees we guarantee it for the first season in your garden whilst it gets established. If it doesn't grow successfully, we'll either replace it the following season or offer a refund - subject to some conditions.
Find out more.
More about apricot trees
Apricots trees belong to the species Prunus armeniaca, and originate from central Asia, where they have been cultivated for thousands of years. Most commercial production takes place in Turkey, southern Europe, and California.
Apricots have excellent nutritional and medicinal properties, and contain more concentrations of beneficial compounds than most other fruit. They are one of the best natural sources of Vitamin A.
Apricot trees are easy to grow in warm climates but can be a more challenging in temperate climates such as much of the UK and northern Europe. The main problem is not winter cold - all Apricots are very hardy - but inconsistent and variable weather, especially in late autumn and early spring, and too much rain. Apricot trees prefer a simple regime of cold dry winters (with at least 500-700 hours below 5 degrees centigrade) and hot dry sunny summers. They do not like either the cold of winter or the heat of summer to be interrupted, and mild weather in late autumn or cold weather in late spring can be a challenge for them.
The recent mild winters have been particularly difficult for apricot trees in the UK. Keep an eye on the weather in November and December - if temperatures do not fall far enough and fast enough the trees do not become dormant. Then when a period of real cold finally arrives the trees are still growing and areas of younger growth are then left open to bacterial canker infections, to which apricots are very susceptible. If you suspect your apricot tree has not become dormant by December, try to protect the tree with fleece over the winter. This is not necessary if the tree is properly dormant though, since apricots are very cold-hardy.
The other challenge can be frost injury to the blossom, because apricots flower very early in the spring, before there are many pollinating insects about. Hand pollination with a small soft brush is therefore often necessary in the UK - do this over 2-3 days when the weather is dry. Keen gardeners will also use frost fleeces on nights when frost is forecast, to avoid frost damage to the blossom. It also helps to choose a sloping site where cold air can drain downhill away from the tree.
The main disease of apricot trees in the UK is bacterial canker, which produces dieback and rapid shoot death. This disease is favoured by mild wet weather over the autumn and winter, and trees are especially susceptible if the late autumn weather is too warm. You can reduce the risk of infection by making sure the planting area is well-drained. Sites where standing water can accumulate over winter should be avoided. In addition, try to keep the rain off them, particularly over the autumn and winter (this helps prevent bacterial canker infections). If dieback occurs it is easily treated if you catch it early - just prune out the damaged branch.
Apricots are the earliest fruit trees to flower. The apricot blossom season lasts for about 3-4 weeks, starting in late February. The flowering periods of most varieties overlap to a greater or lesser extent, with only the very earliest (e.g. Flavorcot) and very latest (e.g. Bergeron) not likely to overlap. There is a gap of several weeks between the blossom finishing and the new leaves starting to emerge.
All apricots are self-fertile, and you only need to plant one tree to get a crop. However planting two trees (each of a different variety) will often produce heavier crops, as well as spreading the risk of frost damage.
Keep pruning to an absolute minimum, and where it is necessary to prune, only do so in late spring when thinning the fruitlets, or just after picking. Although the UK climate means fruiting is sometimes erratic, apricot trees are generally healthy and hardy.
Like plums, apricots may sometimes over-crop, particularly if the spring weather has been good. If this happens then be sure to thin the fruitlets - the ones that remain will be bigger and more flavoursome as a result. Tree-ripened home-grown apricots have a rich fruity flavour that is difficult to beat.
