Porthos Cherry vs Debbies Gold Apricot

Porthos Cherry is a cold-hardy dwarf sour cherry that features white spring flowers followed by large, dark red fruit in mid-to-late summer. Among sour cherries, Porthos is exceptionally sweet with well-balanced acidity. These cherries are ideal for fresh eating, freezing, baking, winemaking, and preserves.

Porthos Cherry was developed by the University of Saskatchewan Fruit Program as part of the Musketeer series and released in 2022. They recommended growing dwarf sour cherries as a shrub rather than a small tree. The shrub form tends to bear fruit earlier and is less susceptible to winterkill.

Sour cherries are self-fertile; however, planting with additional varieties for cross-pollination can increase yields.

Debbie’s Gold Apricot is a cold-hardy variety known for its firm, sweet, and aromatic fruit. The white to pink flowers bloom several days later than other varieties, making them less susceptible to spring frosts. Their orange-yellow, freestone apricots ripen from late July to mid August and are well-suited for fresh eating, baking, canning, and preserves.

Debbie’s Gold Apricot is generally considered to be partially self-pollinating, but planting with another variety for cross-pollination can increase yields.

Note: While the bloom time is later than other varieties, the flowers are still vulnerable to spring frosts, which can reduce or eliminate the fruit crop.

Compare Porthos Cherry with

Compare Debbies Gold Apricot with