Apricot breeding results

First breeding results — OP seedlings of Anya apricot variety

• Seeds came from Anya apricots purchased in June 2015.

• Seeds have been sown in November 2015 and the resulting seedlings have been transplanted to their current location in February 2017.

• In summer 2019, some of the seedlings bore a sizeable harvest for the first time.

• In June 2019, we tasted fruit from about ten trees. Ripening period varied from early to late June, with a peak of ripening in the third week of June. There was also some variation in fruit size (although most are small to below medium), shape (from rounded to ovoid), color (from uniform pale orange to strong red blush on the sunny side), and eating quality (to some degree, due to difference in the ripening level). Overall, the flavor was very good to excellent. Brix levels were extremely high across the board — from 23-24 when "shipping ripe" (the fruit was still crunchy) to 27-30+ when fully ripe. All kernels that we tried were sweet.

• Descriptions of newly selected apricot varieties:

Tatiana — Trialed as Anya seedling W04, named and introduced in 2020. Small round fruit, similar to the original Anya apricot. Noticeable red blush on the sunny side. Flesh very sweet, juicy, with excellent flavor. Stone small, free, with sweet kernel. Productive about two years out of three. Ripens early-mid June in Tracy, California. Tree of medium vigor.

Alisa — Trialed as Anya seedling W07, named and introduced in 2020. Largest fruit of all Anya seedlings that have fruited for us so far (about 50% larger than the original Anya apricot). Ovate shape, some blush, very good looking fruit. Flesh very sweet, juicy, with excellent flavor. Stone large, semi-clinging, with sweet kernel. Ripens mid-June in Tracy, California. In very productive years fruit quality and size would benefit from thinning, but more often production is average and no thinning is needed. Tree of very high vigor.

Mira — Trialed as Anya seedling W08, named and introduced in 2020. Productive in most years; very high yields in both 2019 (first year it fruited) and 2020 (a low chill year, about 500-600 chill hours). Small round fruit, similar to the original Anya apricot. Very sweet flesh (sweet and good for fresh eating even when still crunchy). We used Mira apricots for fresh eating, drying and jam — all with excellent results. Stone small, semi-clinging, with sweet kernel. Ripens mid-late June in Tracy, California. Tree of medium vigor.

Dudi — Trialed as Anya seedling E08, named and introduced in 2022. Fruit below medium in size, ovoid shape, yellow skin without blush. Flesh light orange, very sweet (Brix above 30), very juicy, excellent flavor. Freestone. Ripens in early season (typically, late May to early June in Tracy, California). Tree of high vigor.

Maxim — Trialed as Anya seedling F02, named and introduced in 2022. Fruit above medium in size, ovoid shape, yellow skin without blush. Flesh yellow, very sweet (Brix above 30), moderately juicy, excellent flavor. Freestone. Fruit hangs well on the tree when ripe. Good crop in 2023 and excellent crop in 2024, which were challenging production years due to rainy spring weather for many apricot varieties. Ripened very early in the season (late May) in 2022, but mid-season (mid-late June) in 2023 and 2024. Tree of medium vigor.

Daniel — Trialed as Anya seedling F01, named and introduced in 2023. Fruit below medium in size, sweet with excellent flavor. Freestone. Excellent crops in 2023 and 2024, which were challenging production years due to rainy spring weather for many apricot varieties. Ripens in late season, one of the last (typically, late June to early July in Tracy, California). Tree of high vigor.

Maor — Trialed as Anya seedling S03, named and introduced in 2025. Fruit large (about the same size as Alisa), irregular shape, light orange skin with a red blush on the sunny side. Flesh orange with firm texture, juicy, sweet with outstanding flavor. Freestone. Ripens in late season, just a few days before Daniel (typically, mid-late June in Tracy, California). Tree of medium vigor.

• Notes on use: All these varieties have outstanding flavor for fresh eating and are also excellent for other use, including: vacuum packing and freezing; drying; jams.

• Notes on productivity: Apricot trees can be variable in production, with some years being excellent and some very scarce. The fruit set is very dependent on particular weather during the bloom period, with rainy and wet conditions usually having a strong negative effect. In our experience, having multiple varieties that bloom at different times is very helpful for achieving at least some harvest even in most challenging years. For example, in 2023 we had a very rainy spring, and only about 15% of apricot varieties had decent to good crops. However, due to having many varieties, we still enjoyed a nice apricot harvest when most producers who focus on a small number of varieties had almost none.

• Some photos showing the fruit and Brix levels: