Spring 2024Last few weeks for orders for Spring 2024 planting season.
Orange Pippin Trees USA logoSpecialist fruit trees for your orchard or back-yard

Mutsu apple tree

Mutsu (Crispin)
Mutsu is listed in the RHS Plants for Pollinators
  • Picking season: Late
  • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Pollination group: 3

Mutsu is an unusually versatile apple. Its large size and juicy acidity make it an excellent apple for the kitchen. Slices keep their shape when baked, but it can also be cooked for apple sauce, and slices can be dried too.

Mutsu's Golden Delicious parentage also lends it an excellent sweet flavor for eating fresh, particularly if you like sharper apples. In a good year from a good tree, Mutsu's crisp sharp-sweet flavor can be very good indeed.

In short this is an apple with many talents, and one of that select band of apple varieties that is equally good for eating fresh or in the kitchen.

Mutsu apple trees for sale

Our inventory is up to date, you can pre-order now for the spring 2024 planting season.

  • Semi-dwarf 1-year bare-root tree $37.95
    Mature height: 8ft-12ft after 10 years
    G.935 rootstock

How to grow

Mutsu is a triploid variety, so not a good pollinator for other apple varieties.

Disease resistance is not the greatest, but like all triploid varieties it is a strong-growing tree that can tolerate a few problems, and in practice it is quite easy to grow.

Mutsu likes a warm climate but with cool fall nights.

Advice on fruit tree pollination.

History

Mutsu was developed in Japan in the 1930s, and is a cross between Golden Delicious and Indo. It has become steadily popular in both North America and Europe.

It is widely known by its alternative name, Crispin.

Mutsu characteristics

  • Gardening skillAverage
  • Self-fertilityNot self-fertile
  • Pollination group3
  • Pollinating othersPoor
  • Picking seasonLate
  • UsesEating freshCulinaryJuiceDual purpose
  • Keeping (of fruit)3 months or more
  • General resistancePoor
  • FireblightSome susceptibility
  • ScabSome susceptibility
  • Cedar apple rustSome susceptibility
  • MildewSome resistance
  • Cold hardiness (USDA)Zone 5 (-29C)
  • Summer maximum temperaturesCool ( 20-24C / 68-75F)Warm (25-30C / 76-85F)Hot (>30C / 86F)
  • Chill requirementLow-chill - 600 hours
  • Country of originJapan
  • Period of origin1900 - 1949
  • Fruit colorGreen

Similar varieties

  • See also Shizuka
    Shizuka
    A large sweet-flavored crisp eating apple from Japan.