Chinese Mormon Apricot Tree

Chinese Mormon is a productive apricot that blooms relatively late and ripens its yellow-orange fruit early in the season. This timing makes it a useful selection for sites where late spring frosts threaten apricot blossoms, though no cultivar is immune to a hard freeze. ## Profile [Utah State University Extension](https://extension.usu.edu/boxelder/agriculture/fruit-trees/apricots) lists Chinese (Mormon) as self-fruitful, late blooming, and suitable for Zone 4; its fruit is medium to large with yellow-to-orange skin and flesh. [One Green World’s exact cultivar page](https://onegreenworld.com/product/chinese-mormon-apricot/) gives a 4–7 USDA zone range, about 700 chill hours, and a 10–12 ft mature height. It describes the fruit as flavorful and suitable for fresh use and preserving. ## Planting and fruiting The cultivar tolerates a half-day to full day of sun and needs well-drained soil. A later bloom can reduce frost exposure compared with early apricots, but site selection and local spring weather still matter. The tree is self-fertile; a second apricot blooming at the same time may increase fruit set. ## Maintenance Water deeply and infrequently, avoiding saturated soil. Thin fruit once it is grape-sized, leaving about 4–6 inches between fruit to improve the remaining crop. Keep the canopy open, remove damaged or diseased wood, and pick fruit when it softens and reaches mature yellow-orange color.