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List of the best apple trees for the beginner

Reliable apple varieties which are easy to grow, disease-resistant, good-cropping - ideal for the new apple grower.


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Stock availability

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Rootstocks

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Growing

Gardening skill?

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Self-fertility?

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Pollination group?

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Pollinating others?

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Using

Picking season?

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Uses

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Keeping (of fruit)?

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Disease resistance

General resistance?

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Fireblight?

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Canker?

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Scab?

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Cedar apple rust?

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Mildew?

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Climate

Cold hardiness (USDA)?

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Summer maximum temperatures?

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Chill requirement?

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Identification

Country of origin

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Period of origin

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Flesh colour

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Fruit color

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  • Akane

    Akane apple tree
    Akane is an attractive early-season eating apple with a good pedigree and a sweet/sharp flavor.
    • Picking season: Early
    • Pollination group: 4
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Alkmene

    Alkmene apple tree
    Alkmene is a mid-season apple from Germany, related to to Cox but with a more robust flavor.
    • Picking season: Mid
    • Pollination group: 2
    • Self-fertility: Self-fertile
  • Antonovka

    Antonovka apple tree
    Antonovka is one of the most cold-hardy of all apple varieties.
    • Picking season: Early
    • Pollination group: 3
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Chieftain

    Chieftain apple tree
    A quietly popular apple, similar to Delicious but with a better and more complex flavor.
    • Picking season: Late
    • Pollination group: 4
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Cortland

    Cortland apple tree
    Developed from McIntosh, Cortland is one of the most widely-grown Mac-style apples.
    • Picking season: Late
    • Pollination group: 3
    • Self-fertility: Partially self-fertile
  • CrimsonCrispTM

    CrimsonCrisp apple tree
    CrimsonCrisp is a modern scab-resistant apple, with a very crisp flesh. It can be picked over a long-period.
    • Picking season: Mid
    • Pollination group: 3
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • CrimsonTopazTM

    CrimsonTopaz is a modern scab-resistant variety from the Czech Republic, with a sweet-tart flavor.
    • Picking season: Late
    • Pollination group: 3
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Dayton

    Dayton is an attractive red modern disease-resistant apple with crisp flesh and a sweet/tart flavor.
    • Picking season: Mid
    • Pollination group: 3
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Discovery

    Discovery apple tree
    Discovery is the definitive early-season English apple variety.
    • Picking season: Early
    • Pollination group: 3
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Duchess of Oldenburg

    Duchess of Oldenburg apple tree
    An old culinary variety from Russia, popular in North America, and noted for its winter hardiness.
    • Picking season: Early
    • Pollination group: 2
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Egremont Russet

    Egremont Russet apple tree
    Egremont Russet is the most popular English russet variety, and a good apple tree for the garden.
    • Picking season: Late
    • Pollination group: 2
    • Self-fertility: Partially self-fertile
  • Empire

    Empire apple tree
    One of the most widely-planted McIntosh style apples, Empire has the Mac flavor but improves on it.
    • Picking season: Late
    • Pollination group: 3
    • Self-fertility: Partially self-fertile
  • Enterprise

    Enterprise apple tree
    Enterprise is a modern American disease-resistant apple, good for eating fresh and cooking.
    • Picking season: Very late
    • Pollination group: 4
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Florina

    Florina apple tree
    A modern disease-resistant variety related to Jonathan and Golden Delicious.
    • Picking season: Late
    • Pollination group: 4
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Freedom

    Freedom apple tree
    A modern disease-resistant apple variety, similar to McIntosh.
    • Picking season: Late
    • Pollination group: 3
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Galarina

    Galarina is best considered an improved, disease-resistant Gala (to which it is closely related).
    • Picking season: Late
    • Pollination group: 3
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Gilpin

    Gilpin is a traditional American an all-purpose apple, an excellent keeper, useful in the kitchen and for cider too.
    • Picking season: Very late
    • Pollination group: 5
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Ginger Gold®

    Ginger Gold apple tree
    One of the first yellow apples to ripen.
    • Picking season: Very early
    • Pollination group: 4
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • GoldRush

    GoldRush apple tree
    GoldRush is a modern disease-resistant apple, like Golden Delicious but with a better tart/sweet balance. It is also one of the best new hard-cider varieties.
    • Picking season: Very late
    • Pollination group: 4
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Hudson's Golden Gem

    Hudson's Golden Gem apple tree
    A large yellow russeted apple with an excellent sweet flavor.
    • Picking season: Late
    • Pollination group: 3
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Idared

    Idared apple tree
    A popular and versatile apple, especially good for juicing, and an exceptional keeper.
    • Picking season: Late
    • Pollination group: 2
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Keepsake

    Keepsake apple tree
    A high-quality late-season eating apple, keeps well, and at its best in mid-winter.
    • Picking season: Very late
    • Pollination group: 4
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Kidd's Orange Red

    Kidd's Orange Red apple tree
    Kidd's Orange Red is one of the best Cox-style apples, aromatic, sweet, and easy to grow.
    • Picking season: Late
    • Pollination group: 3
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Liberty

    Liberty apple tree
    Liberty is a popular disease-resistant apple, large crops of bright red apples, similar to McIntosh.
    • Picking season: Late
    • Pollination group: 2
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • McIntosh

    McIntosh apple tree
    A traditional versatile apple popular in the northern states of the USA. Also known as Macintosh.
    • Picking season: Late
    • Pollination group: 2
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Melrose

    Melrose apple tree
    Melrose is a Jonathan-style apple, with a sweet flavor and good storage life.
    • Picking season: Late
    • Pollination group: 3
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Pixie CrunchTM

    Pixie Crunch apple tree
    Pixie Crunch is a small modern disease-resistant apple with a crisp flesh and great flavor.
    • Picking season: Mid
    • Pollination group: 4
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Red Delicious

    Red Delicious apple tree
    Delicious is one of the most popular red apples, productive and easy to grow.
    • Picking season: Late
    • Pollination group: 4
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Redfree

    Redfree apple tree
    A disease-resistant and cold-hardy summer apple with a sweet flavor, also known as Co-op 13.
    • Picking season: Early
    • Pollination group: 3
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Saint Edmund's Russet

    Saint Edmund's Russet apple tree
    Not as well known as other russets, St. Edmund's Russet is nevertheless one of the best.
    • Picking season: Mid
    • Pollination group: 3
    • Self-fertility: Partially self-fertile
  • Sansa

    Sansa apple tree
    A high quality early-season apple variety with a notably sweet flavor.
    • Picking season: Early
    • Pollination group: 4
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • SnowSweet®

    SnowSweet apple tree
    A rich sweet-flavored red apple which grows best in the northern states.
    • Picking season: Late
    • Pollination group: 3
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Spartan

    Spartan apple tree
    Spartan produces lots of crimson maroon apples, crunchy, sweet, easy to grow, and a delicate "vinous" flavor.
    • Picking season: Late
    • Pollination group: 3
    • Self-fertility: Partially self-fertile
  • Sunrise

    Sunrise apple tree
    Sunrise is a bright red-flushed Canadian apple with a soft flesh and sweet flavor.
    • Picking season: Early
    • Picking season: Mid
    • Pollination group: 2
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Sweet Sixteen

    Sweet Sixteen apple tree
    Sweet 16 is a sweet-flavored apple, with good cold hardiness.
    • Picking season: Mid
    • Pollination group: 3
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • TriumphTM

    Also known as MN80, Triumph is a new release from the well-regarded University of Minnesota apple breeding program.
    • Picking season: Late
    • Pollination group: 3
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Tydeman's Late Orange

    Tydeman's Late Orange apple tree
    An excellent late-season Cox-style aromatic apple.
    • Picking season: Late
    • Pollination group: 4
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Wolf River

    Wolf River apple tree
    Wolf River is the perfect cooking apple for the north - reliable, cold-hardy, disease resistant.
    • Picking season: Late
    • Pollination group: 3
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Yellow Transparent

    Yellow Transparent apple tree
    A traditional very early-season dual-purpose apple, which is also very winter-hardy.
    • Picking season: Very early
    • Pollination group: 2
    • Self-fertility: Partially self-fertile