apricot tree in shade

Will an apricot tree fruit in partial shade?

Climate is hot and dry in summer, and frosty in winter. Shade is to the north (sunny side) and west, from trees that lose their leaves in winter. So the shade will be there in the hottest part of day at the hottest time of the year. It's got a decent amount of light (I grow veges and herbs there currently). It will be well sheltered from the prevailing hot wind too.

The tree is grown from seed and is root bound in a pot currently. Not ideal, but just wanting to get it on the ground so it can get on with it. It's never fruited but has flowered in previous years. Probably 5 years old.

I heard persimmons can take some shade. Not sure bout apricots

It sounds like a nearly ideal spot for the apricot tree, they love full sun but the heat would take a toll on the health of the tree.
Watch it rather close for the first year or two in the ground and it will tell you if it likes the conditions quite well.
When you plant it, don't forget to tease out the roots so they will spread away from the trunk.
Optionally you can simply cut the roots and give them a shot of B-12 solution water to stimulate new root growth away from the trunk.

We have one old persimmon tree that is in partial shade and several of its offspring that are in full sun, they are getting old enough now to bear fruit, the mother tree is always loaded with fruit.

If you find that your apricot doesn't like the amount of shade it is in, simply prune the trees doing the shading to open them up so more light gets through.

Redhawk

Oh good and thanks for the extra tips.

I also found this, which is relevant here because of the frost. I'll keep an eye on how the shade is at different times of the year:

 Apricots are much hardier than most people think. The dormant trees tolerate cold temperatures as low as -20° F, or a typical USDA Zone 5 winter. However, because they have a low chilling requirement (400 to 900 hours), they respond to any warm period in late winter or very early spring by bursting forth with blossoms that are then easily killed by a frost. The longer you keep the trees from blooming, the more likely it is they'll escape a late frost.

Make Them Bloom Later

To encourage your trees to bloom late, plant them where they'll stay cool in the spring. The north side of a building is a good location. Set the tree where it is shaded in the spring: as the sun gets higher in the summer, it will get plenty of light. You can also delay blooming by mulching the roots heavily in late winter so the soil will thaw later. Some years it may be too cold for bees to be out pollinating when apricots bloom, which could limit the crop. Some smaller insects do come out and pollinate blossoms whenever temperatures rise even for a short period. Because these insects don't fly very far, you may consider planting a few apricots closer to each other than the 25-foot distance usually recommended.

https://garden.org/learn/articles/view/1455/

Our apricot bears in half shade.