Harogem is a medium-vigor tree with a lovely spreading habit. It is consistently productive and resistant to perennial canker and brown rot. Some susceptibility to bacterial spot has been observed. It does not tend to skincracking, nor to pre-harvest drop. Harogem is self-fertile, but better fruit set will be obtained in the presence of a pollenizer. Harogem will partner well with Harlayne and Hargrand. As with all apricots, thinning is recommended for optimal fruit size.

Ripening midseason, about ten days after Harcot, this freestone apricot is glossy, firm, medium sized, with exceptional keeping quality; it will store in refrigeration for two to three weeks.

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. Harogem was released by this program in 1979.

Photo courtesy of Whiffletree Nursery, Ontario, CA.