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.
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.