Katy apricots have a high survival rate. They blossom in the year they are planted and in the second year they have a blossom and fruit bearing ratio of up to 100%. As such, the variety was imported from the US in 1991 and is now mainly cultivated in Sichuan, Chongqing and Shandong province. This freestone apricot is orange, with a rich taste and a sugar content of 10 brix or more when ripe.
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Compared to those of Sichuan and Chongqing, the Katy apricots of Shandong ripen two weeks later, so the harvest in Shandong means the end of the season for fresh apricots.