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Orange Pippin Trees USA logoSpecialist fruit trees for your orchard or back-yard

Apple trees for California / south-west

Apple varieties which are suitable for growing in California and the south-western states.

  • Anna

    Anna apple tree
    Anna is the go-to apple apple variety for growers in low-chill climates - if you are in southern California, or the southern states, Anna is a good choice.
    • Picking season: Very early
    • Self-fertility: Partially self-fertile
    • Pollination group: 1
  • Arkansas Black

    Arkansas Black apple tree
    Arkansas Black is an unusual and attractive apple, used as a winter apple after maturing in a cold store.
    $37.95buy
    • Picking season: Late
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
    • Pollination group: 3
  • Cripps Pink

    Cripps Pink apple tree
    Cripps Pink is one of the best-known modern apple varieties, well-suited to the warmer apple-growing regions.
    • Picking season: Very late
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
    • Pollination group: 3
  • Cripps Red

    Cripps Red is a late-season low-chill apple from Australia, with a crisp dense flesh and a good flavor.
    • Picking season: Very late
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
    • Pollination group: 3
  • Enterprise

    Enterprise apple tree
    Best seller
    Enterprise is a modern American disease-resistant apple, good for eating fresh and cooking.
    $38.95buy
    • Picking season: Very late
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
    • Pollination group: 4
  • Fuji

    Fuji apple tree
    Developed in Japan, but with all-American parents, Fuji is a very attractive apple with a good sweet flavor.
    • Picking season: Very late
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
    • Pollination group: 3
  • Gala

    Gala apple tree
    Gala is popular supermarket apple - but better when home-grown, with a sweet pleasant flavor.
    • Picking season: Mid
    • Self-fertility: Partially self-fertile
    • Pollination group: 4
  • GoldRush

    GoldRush apple tree
    Best seller
    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
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
    • Pollination group: 4
  • Granny Smith

    Granny Smith apple tree
    Granny Smith is the world-famous green apple from Australia, a good choice for warmer apple-growing regions.
    • Picking season: Very late
    • Self-fertility: Self-fertile
    • Pollination group: 3
  • Gravenstein

    Gravenstein apple tree
    Gravenstein is a high-quality early-season eating and cooking apple, with an excellent strong apple flavor.
    • Picking season: Early
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
    • Pollination group: 1
  • Honeycrisp

    Honeycrisp apple tree
    Best seller
    Honeycrisp is a cold-hardy disease-resistant apple - it shows just how good modern apples have become.
    $37.95buy
    • Picking season: Late
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
    • Pollination group: 4
  • King of Tompkins County

    King of Tompkins County apple tree
    An heirloom apple from New York state, primarily used for cooking.
    $37.95buy
    • Picking season: Late
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
    • Pollination group: 3
  • Liberty

    Liberty apple tree
    Best seller
    Liberty is a popular disease-resistant apple, large crops of bright red apples, similar to McIntosh.
    $37.95buy
    • Picking season: Late
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
    • Pollination group: 2
  • Spitzenburg

    Spitzenburg apple tree
    Best seller
    Esopus Spitzenberg is one of the best-flavored American heirloom apples, and a favorite of Thomas Jefferson.
    • Picking season: Late
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
    • Pollination group: 4
  • Wickson Crab

    Wickson Crab apple tree
    Best seller
    Wickson crab is a popular crab apple variety which is also useful in cider blends.
    $37.95buy
    • Picking season: Late
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
    • Pollination group: 2


How to choose Apple trees for California / south-west

As a rule most apple varieties prefer a climate where there is a definite winter period with temperatures around or below freezing, and summer temperatures not exceeding the low 90s. In contrast Southern California has a "Mediterranean" climate and some other areas of the south western states have long hot dry summers and mild winters. Typical of a Mediterranean climate, almost the entire annual rainfall occurs in winter.

Fortunately there are several apple varieties that will tolerate these conditions.