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  1. Stark Bro's
  2. Fruit Trees
  3. Apricot Trees
  4. Stark® SweetHeart™ Apricot
This item is a Stark Pick!
Stark® SweetHeart™ Apricot
Stark® SweetHeart™ Apricot
Stark® SweetHeart™ Apricot

Stark® SweetHeart™ Apricot

34 ReviewsAsk Questions

Available This Fall

Supplies are limited so make sure you don't miss out next time by having us automatically notify you when it becomes available again.

Description

A Stark Bro's Exclusive!Easy-to-Grow! A Stark Pick

Enjoy fruits and nuts from the same tree! This variety produces big, luscious apricots with a second treat of tasty almond-like kernels inside the pit. Fruit flesh is firm, yet juicy with a sprightly flavor. The “nuts” can be eaten dried or used in any recipe calling for almonds. Easy to grow and maintain! Blooms late to avoid spring frosts and has an extended bloom period. Discovered in Homedale, Idaho in 1970. Freestone. Ripens in mid July. Self-pollinating.

Do not mix your Stark® SweetHeart™ kernels with the kernels of other apricots or peaches; almost all others are not edible.

Characteristics

Bloom Color Pink
Fruit Color Orange
Fruit Size Medium - Large
Pollination Self-pollinating
Ripens/Harvest Mid July
Shade/Sun Full Sun
Soil Composition Loamy
Soil Moisture Well Drained
Soil pH Level 6.0 - 7.0
Taste Spritely Sweet
Texture Firm, Juicy
Years to Bear 2 - 5
Zone Range 5 - 8

Zone Compatibility

This Variety's Zone Range 5 - 8
My Hardiness Zone ?
The USDA hardiness zones offer a guide to varieties that will grow well in certain climates. Each zone corresponds to the minimum winter temperatures experienced in a given area. Make sure that your hardiness zone lies within the zone compatability range of this variety before ordering.

Recommended Pollinators

This variety is self pollinating.

In many cases, you may still want to plant pollinating partners to increase the size of your crops, but with self-pollinating varieties doing so is optional. You'll get fruit with only one plant!

Tools & Supplies

Having the proper tools and supplies when growing your own can make the difference between a good harvest and a great harvest! Here's a list that our experts recommend for this variety.

Tags

We've 'tagged' this item with specific keywords that help you find other products that share features or characteristics with this one. Select a tag below to view all the items that have that particular trait.

Questions & Answers

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Browse 11 questions Browse 11 questions and 40 answers
Why did you choose this?
Stark Bro's Store
Customer recommended, right for my area. Have had great results with Stark products
Donald S on Jun 12, 2017
In addition to looking for a dwarf apricot this one also had an extra bonus. The pits can be used in place of almonds which gives me two trees for the price of one and doesn't take up the space as most nut trees will.
Julia H on Apr 11, 2017
Customer recommended, right for my area. Have had great results with Stark products
Donald S on Jun 12, 2017
Easy to grow, healthy and sweet!
James P on May 26, 2017
In addition to looking for a dwarf apricot this one also had an extra bonus. The pits can be used in place of almonds which gives me two trees for the price of one and doesn't take up the space as most nut trees will.
Julia H on Apr 11, 2017
For the seed or nut you can eat.
JAMES G on Apr 6, 2017
I chose this Apricot because I wanted a tree that had great tasting apricots and could be alone since it is going in a smaller side yard.
David N on Mar 28, 2017
Back in the days me and my husband used to go to the Greek islands for vacation with our kids and that was the only time I would be able to eat Apricots fresh from the trees and the kids loved them too. I am creating the garden of my dreams here in Texas :)
Maria F on Mar 25, 2017
Widening my fruit selection, My wife want fresh organic Apricots
CHRISTOPHER C on Mar 20, 2017
My husband is an apricot fanatic and I bought it as a gift for him. The tree is doing well. W are still waiting for fruit.
ANNAMAY S on Mar 18, 2017
I love the idea of nuts and apricots. My favorites. I grow All-in-One almond here in NC, but most years the flowers just bloom too early for our frosts. Apricots are later than almonds, so this should crop much more often than true almonds.
Bob k on Mar 14, 2017
Grew this at last house, and tasted great. Almonds and apricots. Yum
Rolf G on Mar 6, 2017
Recommended by a neighbor who I trust as a gardner
William S on Feb 24, 2017
I wanted apricot and the nut inside was a bonus. Also this tree had a colder zone rating than the other apricots I had looked at purchasing.
kevin h on Feb 12, 2017
Easy to grow
Jennifer P on Feb 6, 2017
Ordered dwarf tree to grow in a large pot
barbara a on Feb 2, 2017
Replacing one I had 15 years ago.
RANDALL C on Jan 26, 2017
You can eat pit too no waste!
KELLEY W on Jan 26, 2017
I chose this because the idea of these apricots having edible nuts inside is too cool!
Casey K on Jan 17, 2017
Had the tree before and the fruit was delicious. It had to be cut down because of the location.
Clyde A on Nov 25, 2016
Doing great with minimal human intervention.
Michele S on Oct 22, 2016
We've moved and left our wonderful Sweetheart Apricot to new owners in Arizona,
I can only hope it survives and produces as well in our new (hotter) area.
Noel P on Sep 18, 2016
Because of the fruit and nut, self-pollination, worked in our zone and was a dwarf tree.
Paula C on Aug 24, 2016
Memories of a neighbor's apricot tree. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed apricots. This tree is still small, but survived our northern Michigan winter and is full of foliage. Looking forward to future fruit.
GINI C on Jun 10, 2016
We love the idea of the edible pit. The plant arrived in good condition, exactly how it was advertised. It survived the first winter without a problem, and there is new growth popping out already. It will take a couple years for it to bear fruit, so we are patiently waiting ...
CATHERINE M on Mar 9, 2016
the nut/kernel being edible also.
Orville G on Feb 28, 2016
father had an apricot
Gary C on Feb 27, 2016
Easy to grow, healthy and sweet!
James P on May 26, 2017
For the seed or nut you can eat.
JAMES G on Apr 6, 2017
Do the kernals contain any form of poison? I have read that all apricot pits have very small amounts.
Derrick M on Nov 20, 2016
BEST ANSWER: SweetHeart apricots are quite different than many other varieties. You can eat the delicious kernels of SweetHeart with no worries; they do not contain toxic elements.
My favorite apricots are California style, Blenheim or Royal. What style of apricot fruit is this one ... is it bland, sweet, or does it pack a lot of flavor like Blenheim or Royal ?
LarryC on Aug 27, 2016
BEST ANSWER: I have found Sweetheart to be very sweet. I grow them on the front range of Colorado, so we don't always get a crop due to our weather. But when they produce like they did this year, they are very sweet indeed.
We live in central Iowa, zone 5. Anyone have good luck with this tree from Iowa?
nrandall on May 31, 2017
BEST ANSWER: I live in zone 5b, Northeastern Pa. I bought a Sweethart Apricot tree from Stark last year and it is growing very well. No blooms yet but vigorous growth.

Al Price
Has anyone canned the sweetheart apricots? Does the skin get tough? How about freezing them? My goal is to eat some and can or freeze some for winter. Canning would be better for storage purposes as I also have several other fruit trees and bushes. Thanks in advance.
Jenn M on Mar 26, 2017
BEST ANSWER: I can't answer this question specifically, but in my experience with fruit, canning saves the flavor, a little more work than freezing, but a better flavor and no freezer burn taste.
I live in southern Ohio where it is hot and humid, how is the disease resistance of this apricot?
Kelsey M on Nov 10, 2016
BEST ANSWER: This variety has good general disease resistance, to mean it is not known to be highly susceptible to disease, but still you may want to keep a fungicide on hand to control things like brown rot in areas with cool, wet springs and high humidity during the growing season.
I live by the Long Island sound and the soil is sandy and probably has some salt. Will the apricot do well here?
Anjali L on May 7, 2017
BEST ANSWER: I would check the pH of your soil as apricots do best in neutral to slightly acidic soil. I have fairly rocky soil, so not everything grows well, but have had good luck with apricots as they seems to not need much in terms of fertilizer and are pretty drought tolerant
What are the blossoms like? I have a Halls Hardy Almond and the blossoms are beautiful. Is this similar?
SammyR on May 7, 2017
BEST ANSWER: I have yet to get any blossoms on the tree yet but I am very happy with the tree. I planted it a year ago in western Kansas and it has done very well, exceeding my expectations. I have not lost a tree yet from stark brothers! I have other apricot trees and the blooms are white and very similar to that of the almond. Hope this helps you out and good luck with you trees! David
I have a nearby black walnut, about 40 ft. Are apricot trees susceptible to juglone, which is in black walnut trees?
GregC on Dec 23, 2016
BEST ANSWER: Apricots are of the Prunus genus (stone fruits), and according to the Penn State Extension Service, they are tolerate of juglone, along with other fruits in the Prunus genus.
I live on the eastern edge of central Alabama, and I would like to make sure we get enough chilling hours for the sweetheart apricots?
Paul A on Dec 11, 2016
BEST ANSWER: This apricot tree performs well in areas with around 700 chill hours.
Can I keep my Apricot tree inside in a pot until it is warm enough to plant outside? I want to purchase one for a Christmas gift.
Sarah B on Dec 9, 2016
BEST ANSWER: Thank you for your question! Sure you can. You will need to "pot up" to a larger pot than the container in which it arrives, or it may become rootbound. It might be helpful to read this article about growing fruit trees in containers, even if it's just over the winter: //www.starkbros.com/growing-guide/article/fruit-trees-in-containers-pt1

Customer Reviews

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4.5 / 5.0
34 Reviews
5 Stars
4 Stars
3 Stars
2 Stars
1 Star
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1
Stark SweetHeart Apricot
A winner for sure. This is our second tree. The first tree we bought 40 years ago is still bearing, and 10 years ago it produced 6,000 apricots, with corresponding edible pits.
June 1, 2016
Purchased
 1 year ago
Honestly... this is a great tree....
So, here is a reason to buy this. Last year, I planted it in a spot that ended up having less light than I expected. This year I had to move it and I was very afraid I would kill it because the roots were well spread through the ground. I moved it, and it is doing very well. I had heard that moving dwarf trees killed them, but this apricot is such a champ, it just loves the new spot!
May 18, 2016
Purchased
 over 2 years ago
Sweetheart Apricot
We have had these trees for about 10 years and really like the fruit as well as the almond-like pits. The only problem is the fruit gets wiped out about every other year by our late frosts. Several years ago we bought three more of these trees and they are progressing well.
David Vaughn
Castle Valley, Utah
May 8, 2016
Purchased
 over 2 years ago
Quality tree
I purchased this variety to grow in northern Utah in a shady area to bloom later spring. The tree was planted fall 2014 & has grown to about six feet tall. It has about 20 apricots on it in the early stages of growth. By next year it will be ready to produce a decent crop. The tree arrived in good condition & has grown fast. Would upload photo if had option. Overall good experience.
May 18, 2016
Purchased
 over 2 years ago
Vigourous Grower
I purchased this sweetheart apricot in the spring of 2015. Throughout the summer and into the fall not much happened as would be expected since it needed time to settle in... However it did Bud out and grow leaves. Sometime over the summer my husband accidentally ran over it with the truck and the lower part of the stem practically broke in half... He immediately put it back together and splinted it. We hoped for the best but I felt that it would surely die. This spring however much to my surprise not only did it mend itself you can barely tell that it was practically broken almost in half... In fact it has leaked out quite nicely
May 20, 2016
Purchased
 over 2 years ago
Nice and strong tree
Well grown, strong, had few fruit this year for the first time. Fruit is sweet and large.
August 3, 2016
Purchased
 over 2 years ago
Beautiful Tree
Still no fruit but this is growing into a beautiful shaped tree. I have it currently in a half whiskey barrel with strawberries and the pairing is very pretty.
May 17, 2016
Purchased
 over 2 years ago
Sweetheart Apricot
Pre-ordered 4 peach & apricot bare root trees from Starks they delivered on time in fall, well packaged and included informal easy to read instructions for care & planting. Flower Mound, TX
March 10, 2016
Purchased
 1 year ago
Strong trees
Here in central illinois we have had perrty strong storms and it didn't affect this tree at all so far it is growing great.
September 11, 2016
Purchased
 over 2 years ago
Nice young tree.
Made it thru a harsh Colorado winter. Nice hardy tree. Took off and nearly doubled in size this first year. Hoping that by next year it starts to set on a few fruit.
May 17, 2016
Purchased
 over 2 years ago

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