Blenheim (Royal) Apricot
Pollination & Compatibility Guide
Blenheim (Royal) apricot pollination guide: corrected Group 2 bloom, Tilton partner note, chill estimate and frost risk. Partners and bloom overlap.
Blenheim Sets Fruit Alone (Partner Optional)
Partners: Tilton, Canino.
- Ploidy / Pool
- Diploid · Pool C
- Required Companions
- 0 (Self-Fertile)
- Bloom Group
- Group 2 (Early-Mid Spring)
- Harvest Timing
- Mid Season
- Chill Estimate
- ~450 h below 7.2°C Provisional; verify locallySource: Pomologist review, 2026-07-24 (~400-500 h)
Flowering Period & Overlap Window
Apricots flower before peach, plum and cherry, so bloom overlap and spring frost decide most outcomes. Self-fertility varies by origin: many Mediterranean-type cultivars set alone, while several North American releases need a compatible partner flowering at the same time.
Blenheim flowers within the apricot Group 1–3 window. Partner-dependent cultivars need a compatible apricot whose flowers overlap in the same days.
Compatible Pollination Partners (18)
| Cultivar | Bloom Group | Overlap Type | Harvest | Primary Uses | Interactive Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group 2 | Full Overlap | Early | Fresh Eating (Hybrid) | Test Cross | |
| Group 2 | Full Overlap | Early | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
Katy | Group 2 | Full Overlap | Early | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
Royal Rosa | Group 2 | Full Overlap | Early-Mid | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
Supercot | Group 2 | Full Overlap | Early | Fresh Eating, Canning | Test Cross |
Wenatchee Moorpark | Group 2 | Full Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating, Canning, Drying | Test Cross |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Early | Fresh Eating, Canning, Preserves | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid-Late | Fresh Eating, Canning, Drying | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late | Fresh Eating, Canning, Drying, Preserves | Test Cross | |
AC Harojoy | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid-Late | Fresh Eating, Canning, Freezing, Jam | Test Cross |
Canadian White | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating, Preserves | Test Cross |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Early | Fresh Eating, Freezing, Canning | Test Cross | |
Harogem | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late | Fresh Eating, Canning, Freezing, Jam | Test Cross |
Nugget | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid | Fresh Eating, Drying | Test Cross |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid | Canning, Drying | Test Cross |
Incompatible Varieties & Exclusions (7)
These cultivars cannot serve as pollinizers for Blenheim because their flowering does not overlap, their pollen is unsuitable, or they share the same incompatibility group.
apricot incompatibility groups are only partly mapped, so only cultivars documented as reliable donors are offered. Goldbar is not one of them — that is a gap in the data, not evidence it is incompatible.
apricot incompatibility groups are only partly mapped, so only cultivars documented as reliable donors are offered. Goldrich is not one of them — that is a gap in the data, not evidence it is incompatible.
apricot incompatibility groups are only partly mapped, so only cultivars documented as reliable donors are offered. Goldstrike is not one of them — that is a gap in the data, not evidence it is incompatible.
apricot incompatibility groups are only partly mapped, so only cultivars documented as reliable donors are offered. Perfection is not one of them — that is a gap in the data, not evidence it is incompatible.
apricot incompatibility groups are only partly mapped, so only cultivars documented as reliable donors are offered. Rival is not one of them — that is a gap in the data, not evidence it is incompatible.
apricot incompatibility groups are only partly mapped, so only cultivars documented as reliable donors are offered. Sundrop is not one of them — that is a gap in the data, not evidence it is incompatible.
apricot incompatibility groups are only partly mapped, so only cultivars documented as reliable donors are offered. Tomcot is not one of them — that is a gap in the data, not evidence it is incompatible.
Grower Commentary: Blenheim Blooms Early
Blenheim, sold as Royal in some markets, is a diploid apricot with viable pollen and no required partner in our record. Its bloom group was corrected from 3 to 2, so it opens ahead of Moorpark, Tilton and Harcot. That early window helps when it is used as a donor for another Group 2 tree, but it leaves the flowers exposed to the first spring frost. Tilton is the named partner.
The pomology record carries about 450 hours below 7.2°C, marked provisional. That is a low figure among the curated apricots, so a mild winter can wake the buds sooner than growers expect. Watch bud development through late winter and be ready to protect a small block; a warm spell followed by a hard night can cost the entire crop.
Blenheim is a mid-season fruit here. Keep the canopy open for light and airflow, thin clusters early and pick when the fruit gives slightly at the shoulder. Confirm the rootstock with the nursery, especially on heavy or poorly drained ground, before committing to a planting.
Key Orchard Considerations for Blenheim
Corrected to an early window; pair with Tilton only where flowering dates truly overlap.
About 450 h is provisional; warm winters can push buds forward.
Early flowers need the best cold-air drainage on the farm.
Take Blenheim from Planning to Planting
Use Kropigo's free browser tools to model your block density, tree counts, and pollinizer rows, then maintain permanent orchard records row by row.
Pollination Checker
Check Blenheim against supported cultivars with compatible flowering and pollination data.
Commercial Block Planner
Calculate high-density tree spacing, row geometry, and establishment costs.
Block Record Keeping
Track pruning, chemical thinning, and harvest tallies block by block from the orchard.