Hargrand is a medium-sized tree that is open-spreading. It is resistant to perennial canker, brown rot, and bacterial spot. Hargrand blooms early and ripens mid-late season, about ten days after Harcot. It is self-fertile, but better fruit set will be obtained in the presence of a pollenizer. Harogem and Harlayne are suitable partners. Hargrand will produce exceptionally large apricots if overset trees are thinned. The fruit is a dull orange but has excellent flavor. It is juicy and aromatic, fine textured, freestone, and very firm–great for snacking and fresh markets.

As Bob Purvis explains in Pomona, Fall 2006: "The earliest apricots brought to North America were mostly from Spain and similar Mediterranean climates, and they did not include the genes for a broader range of climatic adaptability. Modern breeders have sought out germplasm in many places, including central Asia where the apricot is thought to have originated." One such breeding program is based in Harrow, Ontario, and it has produced the "Harrow Series" of cold-hardy apricots that are suitable for New York and New England. Hargrand was released by this program in 1980.