They shouldn't be that different. Scratch the bark. It should be bright green just under the surface. If it's at all brown then you likely had winter injury. What you describe sounds like winter injury, if so sorry to hear that.

It is a winter injury I had the same problem none of my Apricot grafts worked

Native plums grow here. Would these be compatible for grafting european or japanese plums?

Treehugger how do your apricots suffer winter damage in a warm zone like yours ?
It's more likely sun scald or simply dried out. Apricot are very hardy trees .
I noticed last year when I tried grafting apricots that the wood is very dry and they are next to impossible to graft . I think grafting green wood or bud grafting is way to go with apricots .

MATTPF

You must be kidding to say my weather is warm. If my weather is warm why all the flowers on my 6 apricot trees froze and fell down. My dream is to taste just one apricot from my trees but the weather would not allow me. I was so frustrated and crazy I went out and spent 300.00 buying tree tarps and XMAS lights to be used next year freeze time. I did that to prevent myself of giving up hope for apricot

Sorry, I wasn't trying to hijack the thread. I thought I was starting a new thread.