Bergeron

Apricot ‘Bergeron’ is a classic French cultivar of Prunus armeniaca, discovered as a chance seedling near Lyon in the early twentieth century. It became one of the reference apricot varieties of the Rhône Valley and remains widely valued for its reliability and fruit quality.

The fruits are large and slightly elongated, with golden yellow to deep orange skin developing an attractive red blush on the sunny side. The orange flesh is firm, fine-textured and juicy when fully ripe. Its flavour combines good sweetness with a refreshing acidity and a rich traditional apricot aroma.

‘Bergeron’ is a late-season apricot, generally harvested from late July into the first half of August in temperate European climates. The fruits hold well on the tree and have better handling qualities than many softer apricots. They are excellent for fresh eating and equally useful for preserves, baking and cooking.

The tree has moderate to strong vigour with a semi-upright habit and crops regularly once established. One of its main advantages is its late flowering, which can reduce exposure to early spring frosts in continental and cooler growing areas. ‘Bergeron’ is self-fertile, so it can crop without a second apricot nearby. Its main weaknesses are susceptibility to brown rot and bacterial canker, especially in wet or poorly ventilated sites.