Stark® SweetHeart™ Apricot Tree

Stark® SweetHeart™ Apricot is the tree that gives you two harvests from one planting: big, luscious, firm, juicy freestone apricots ripening in mid-July, and sweet almond-like kernels from inside the pits that can be eaten dried or used in any recipe calling for almonds. The edible kernel quality is what makes SweetHeart™ genuinely unique among apricots — most apricot and peach pits contain kernels that are toxic and not edible. SweetHeart™'s are sweet, safe, and flavorful. Discovered in Homedale, Idaho in 1970, introduced as a Stark Bro’s exclusive. Late-blooming to avoid spring frosts with an extended bloom period for more consistent annual fruit set. Self-pollinating, easy to grow.

Important: Do not mix Stark® SweetHeart™ kernels with the kernels of other apricot or peach varieties. Almost all other apricot and peach kernels are not edible.

Two Harvests From One Tree — Apricots and Edible Sweet Kernels

The edible kernel inside the SweetHeart™ pit is genuinely sweet, mild, and almond-like in flavor and texture — a bonus harvest that makes this variety unlike any other apricot available for home orchards. After enjoying the fresh apricots, crack the freestone pits and dry the kernels for snacking or baking wherever almonds are called for. For home orchardists who love the idea of maximum value from every part of the harvest, SweetHeart™ delivers it in a way no other single tree can.

Big, Firm, Juicy Freestone Apricots — Mid-July Ripening

The apricot harvest itself is genuinely excellent: medium-to-large, orange, firm, juicy fruit with a bright, sprightly flavor that is outstanding for fresh eating, preserves, and drying. Freestone means the pit separates cleanly from the flesh for easy processing. Mid-July ripening delivers the harvest at the peak of summer when apricots are at their most enjoyable.

Late-Blooming — Extended Bloom for Frost Avoidance

Apricots are among the earliest-blooming fruit trees, and that early bloom makes them particularly vulnerable to late spring frosts that eliminate the crop for the season. SweetHeart™'s late bloom timing and extended bloom period move the vulnerable flowering window past the most dangerous frost dates and spread the pollination period across a longer window, supporting more consistent annual fruit set in gardens where late frost events are a recurring challenge.

Why Growers Choose Stark® SweetHeart™ Apricot

• Two harvests from one tree — fresh apricots in July and edible sweet almond-like kernels from the pits
• A Stark Bro’s exclusive — discovered in Homedale, Idaho in 1970
• Big, firm, juicy freestone apricots — bright sprightly flavor, easy to pit and process
• Late-blooming with extended bloom period — better frost avoidance than most apricot varieties
• Self-pollinating and easy to grow — productive with just one tree
• Zones 5–8 — cold-hardy and reliable across a wide range of northern climates