Early Moorpark apricot trees
Prunus armeniaca This is an early-ripening form of the popular English Moorpark apricot, and well-suited to the English climate. It is also one of the best apricots for eating fresh, and like all apricots is an excellent culinary fruit.
Despite the name it is a mid-season variety, ripening in August. The fruit can be picked over the course of a week or so.
Unlike the modern orange-blushed varieties it has a paler colouring. The soft flesh has a good strong apricot flavour.
Early Moorpark apricot trees for sale
Pot-grown
All pot-grown trees are suitable for planting out in the garden, some are suitable for growing in containers.
PG12-year 7L pot-grown tree St. Julien rootstock £56.50
Large tree
(3m-5m after 10 years)
Out of stock
Please try next season
PG22-year bush-trained 12L pot-grown tree St. Julien rootstock £65.50
Large tree
(3m-5m after 10 years)
Out of stock
Please try next season
Bare-root
BR11-year bare-root tree Semi-vigorous rootstock £43.75
Large tree
(3m-5m after 10 years)
Out of stock
Please try next season
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Call us on 01759 392007 or fill in our contact form.
Delivery charges
Delivery for a single tree starts at £9.95, it is calculated based on your postcode.
Growing and Training
Although Early Moorpark is one of the best varieties for the English climate, like all apricots it needs maximum sunlight and warmth in the growing season. Fan-training on a south-facing wall in full sun is the best way to get results, although it will perform well as a free-standing tree in many areas.
Early Moorpark is slightly more vigorous than the modern apricots.
As with all stone fruit, keep pruning to an absolute minimum. However Early Moorpark has a fairly good track record for disease-resistance.
All apricots flower very early in the spring, and frost protection (such as a frost fleece) may be helpful. Despite its name, Early Moorpark flowers in the middle of the apricot blossom season.
History
Moorpark (or Moor Park) is named after Moor Park, in south Hertfordshire, where it was first grown at the end of the 18th century. Its earlier origins are unknown, although it was almost certainly imported from Europe. Early Moorpark is an earlier-ripening form.
A Moor Park apricot tree is the subject of a disagreement between the characters Dr. Grant and Mrs Norris in the Jane Austen novel Mansfield Park, which was published in 1814. The tree was originally obtained for Mrs Norris by a family friend for 7 shillings, and planted against a stable wall where it is apparently thriving. She describes the fruit as "valuable" and explains how her cook used the entire crop for early tarts and preserves. Dr. Grant, who is the new owner of the property, disagrees and thinks the tree produces worthless fruit. However, this being a Jane Austen novel, it is likely that his criticism of the fruit is really a coded dislike of Mrs Norris and her offspring.
Early Moorpark characteristics
- Gardening skillExperienced
- Self-fertilitySelf-fertile
- Flowering group4
- Pollinating othersAverage
- Climate suitabilityTemperate climatesWarm climates
- Picking seasonMid
- CroppingLight
- Keeping (of fruit)1 week
- Food usesEating freshCulinaryDual purpose
- Country of originUnited Kingdom
- Period of origin1750 - 1799
- Blossom colourWhite
- Fruit colourOrange
British-grown trees 
Unlike many garden centres and online retailers, the vast majority of our fruit trees are grown in the UK.
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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.
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