Technical Abstract: For many North American consumers, apricot remains a little known and underappreciated fruit. Apricot tonnage and total harvested orchard area are increasing on a worldwide basis while both production and acreage have been declining in North America for several decades. This is in spite of the fact that approximately 50 new apricot cultivars have been released for production by North American breeders in the last 30 years. In California, the major growing region for apricot production in North America, acreage has now declined to slightly more than 5,200 ha, whereas nearly 40,000 ha of apricot once grew in California’s orchards. Currently, there are only two publicly-funded apricot breeding efforts that remain active in North America. The present absence of PPV from North American apricot growing regions has allowed breeders to focus available resources on other important breeding criteria. An expanded ripening season is being pursued by both breeding efforts, as are the incorporation of novel flesh and skin characteristics into the locally adapted apricot selections. Late-bloom interval is also pursued in an effort to broaden apricot production regions as well as to improve crop reliability to growers in regions prone to late spring frosts. Funding for publicly-sponsored breeding programs has remained static while personnel and overhead costs associated with breeding have increased significantly in recent years. The lack of resources will undoubtedly limit publicly-sponsored apricot breeding efforts in the future. Private breeding efforts, funded by varietal tree sale royalties or other proprietary charges, may dominate North American apricot development in the near future.