Item Number: FT065
Royal Blenheim Apricot Tree
Heritage apricots with rich flavor.
Bare Root Tree Savings
Mix and match eligible bare root trees:
- Buy 3, save 5%
- Buy 10, save 15%
- Buy 6 and receive free standard shipping
Lower 48 only. Discounts and shipping thresholds are calculated separately from potted plants and perennials. See complete shipping details.
Royal Blenheim is the apricot many fruit lovers remember as the standard for fragrance and old-fashioned flavor. Its medium-sized freestone fruit ripens to glowing golden orange, often brushed with red on the sunny side, and reveals tender, juicy flesh with a remarkable balance of sweetness, tang, and concentrated apricot aroma. Eaten fresh at full ripeness, it offers a depth rarely found in fruit selected mainly for shipping durability. In the kitchen, that same intensity makes Royal Blenheim exceptional for drying, jam, preserves, and baking, where its flavor remains vivid. Early spring blossoms bring delicate beauty to the orchard before the classic golden crop forms. For gardeners who value heritage fruit and eating quality above uniform supermarket appearance, Royal Blenheim offers a genuine taste of California orchard history and a harvest worth anticipating. Royal Blenheim is the California name commonly used for the historic Blenheim apricot, which was also known in England as Shipley’s Blenheim.
Plant Royal Blenheim in full sun and well-drained soil, avoiding frost pockets because apricots bloom early. Citation rootstock produces a manageable semi-dwarf tree. Prune for an open canopy, thin crowded fruit when needed, and maintain even moisture during fruit development.
Royal Blenheim is self-fruitful, so one tree can set fruit. Another compatible apricot blooming nearby can increase pollinator activity, may support a fuller crop, and adds another flavor or harvest period.
Royal Blenheim Apricot Tree Details
- Fruit: Medium-sized golden-orange freestone apricots, often with a red blush
- Flavor and texture: Tender and juicy with sweet-tangy flavor and intense apricot aroma
- Best uses: Fresh eating, drying, jam, preserves, and baking
- Harvest: Late June to early July
- USDA zones: 7–9
- Chill hours: 400 hours or less
- Tree size: Semi-dwarf on Citation rootstock
- Pollination: Self-fruitful; another compatible apricot can be beneficial
- Recommended pollinizers or companions: Consider Tomcot, Harcot, or Earli Autumn
- Special care: Full sun, excellent drainage, frost awareness during bloom, and fruit thinning when needed
- Something Special: Royal Blenheim is the California name commonly used for the historic Blenheim apricot, which was also known in England as Shipley’s Blenheim.
Orchard Planning Resources
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Shipping Information
Shipping Information
Cannot ship to the following states: HI, AK, PR, GU, VI
Shipping Weight: 5.0 lb
Dimensions: 47.5"L x 7.3"W x 2.75"H
Features
Features
- Bare Root
- Freestone
- Self-fruitful
- Suited to Warmer Climates
Characteristics
Characteristics
Planting & Care
Planting & Care
Useful Information
Useful Information
Guarantee
Guarantee
Limited Dormant Tree & Plant Guarantee
* Claim deadline is June 15th
We guarantee that your dormant tree or plant will arrive in good, viable condition. If your tree arrives in substandard condition, notify us within 3 days of delivery. Please email pictures of the box, inside packaging, the tree and its roots to helpdesk@groworganic.com. We will investigate your claim and process a request to exchange or refund the damaged product.
If your dormant tree or plant has not grown new leaves by June 15th, you may be eligible for our Limited Dormant Tree & Plant Guarantee. This guarantee provides for a store credit for the purchase price of the tree, excluding shipping. Please see the Instructions below.
Important Dates:
- April 1st Dormant trees/plants must be planted in the ground
- May 15th Perform scratch test, if no new leaves have grown
- June 15th Deadline to apply for a dormant tree/plant credit
All required documentation must be received by June 15th for your claim to be considered. Claims or documentation received after June 15th will be denied, without exception. Instructions listed below
Terms and Conditions
We cannot guarantee that your tree or plant will remain alive and healthy after it is received, or bear fruit as there are too many variables in your environment that are beyond our control (i.e. soil preparation, weed and pest control, proper irrigation, chill hours, compatible hardiness for your growing zone, proper choice of pollinator, extreme weather, rodent damage, disease, etc.).
We cannot guarantee that we will be able to provide a replacement tree/plant of the same species either that same growing season or in future years. Customers are responsible for all shipping fees associated with replacement trees and plants.
If we determine that the tree you purchased directly from us is not viable, we will issue you a store credit (not a refund) for the purchase price of the affected dormant tree or plant. Shipping is not included in the dormant tree/plant guarantee. Store credits can be used to purchase any product we sell and are valid for use only until July 1st of the following year.
Historically, 98% of our dormant trees and plants grow and thrive when they have been cared for and planted using our growing guides. Dormant trees and plants must be planted in the ground by April 1st in order to be eligible for credit. If the ground in your area is still frozen solid, you may temporarily plant your tree or plant in a pot.
Potted, non-dormant trees or plants are excluded from this guarantee as they are not dormant at the time of shipment. Evergreen trees such as citrus, avocado and olive trees are not available for credit under the Dormant Tree and Plant Guarantee.
Instructions
We guarantee that your dormant fruit tree or plant will leaf out, if you care for it according to our growing guides. In the unlikely event that your dormant tree or plant does not have leaves by May 15th, follow these simple steps to apply for a store credit:
Before you call or email, please perform a “scratch test” to determine if the tree or plant is still alive. This video shows how to check for live tissue under the bark. Scratch tests need to be done a few inches above and below the graft.
Green Cambium Layer / Living Trees
If the cambium layer under the bark is green, give your tree a little more time. It is still alive, but hasn’t come out of dormancy yet. Check to make sure that it is getting the right amount of deep root water, enough sunlight and that the weather is warm enough for that type of tree/plant to come out of dormancy. Every tree has its own personality and will come out of dormancy at different times. Be sure to submit the required documentation listed below by June 15th, if it doesn’t grow leaves.
Brown Cambium Layer / Dead Trees
If the scratch test shows a brown cambium layer or if your dormant tree/plant doesn’t have leaves by June 1st, please email us at helpdesk@groworganic.com. All required documentation listed below must be received by June 15th for your claim to be considered. To be considered for the guarantee claim, all required documentation must be received by June 15th. Incomplete submissions will be denied.
Required Documentation
- Order number
- Name of dormant tree/plant and the quantity affected
- Photos of each tree or plant showing:
- The roots (tree or plant must be pulled out of the ground)
- The scratch test areas
- The entire tree/plant
We reserve the right to not issue credit for items that have already been replaced. We also reserve the right to require photographic evidence that the tree/plant was not killed by root rot, rodent or mechanical damage.
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Tree arrived in great condition. Can’t wait to see how it leafs out. Looking forward to lots tasty fruit in a few years.
I just love the bare root fruit trees that I bought from Peaceful Farm Nursery. Both the Santa Rosa plum and the Blenheim apricot are both doing extremely well. The instructions for planning were easy and made the difference when I planted the trees.
My tree arrived and I planted right away. They are growing beautifully
This is the first time I have tried to grow a fruit tree, but it seems to be coming along nicely and seems to be happy. Not sure if I will get any fruit this year, but am looking forward to next year. It is leafing happiiy away so I might actually get some fruit this year!
I ordered this apricot tree together with other multi graft trees and it arrived safely. The tree was the smallest of the bunch at barely reaching 30" which was disappointing to see. It was not pruned to an open center shape like the rest so I had to cut it down to a whip basically. Now almost 45 days later is making new leaves/branches but it will be probably 2-3 years before it is large enough to produce any fruit.