About
A non-branching, columnar tree about 3m tall and 1m wide, producing flowers and fruit from short shoots all along the main trunk. Red-flushed, green apples have crisp, juicy, quite sharp flesh, cropping in mid-autumn and storing for a few weeks. Not self-fertile, in pollination group C.
About the genus
Malus are small to medium-sized deciduous trees with showy flowers in spring and ornamental or edible fruit in autumn; some have good autumn foliage colour
Growing conditions
SunlightFull sun
Soil typeClay, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained, Well-drained
AspectSouth-facing, West-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH6
Plant details
Plant typeFruit Edible, Trees
HabitColumnar upright
FoliageDeciduous
Height2.5-4 metres
Spread0.5-1 metres
Time to full height10-20 years
Suggested usesCottage and informal garden, Patio and container plants, Wildlife gardens, City and courtyard gardens
Care notes
CultivationPrefers deep, fertile, moist but well-drained, neutral soil in a sunny sheltered position. Will not thrive on very acid soils, shallow chalk soils or with shade for more than half the day. Ideal for containers. May require fruit thinning to improve fruit size and quality. See apple cultivation
PruningPrune side shoots to two or three buds in summer
PropagationPropagate by chip budding in late summer, or grafting in mid-winter. Plants grown from pips are unlikely to resemble the parent
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to aphids, including rosy apple aphid and woolly aphid, fruit tree red spider mite, codling moth and other caterpillars
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to apple canker, apple scab, blossom wilt, brown rot, fireblight, honey fungus and powdery mildews