• Home
• Fruit trees
• Apple trees

• Previous
• Next
• Compare

Blenheim Orange apple trees

• Gardening skill: Some needed
• Picking season: Late
• Keeping (of fruit): 1-2 months
• Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
• Pollination group: 3
• Uses: Eating fresh
• Uses: Cooking
• Uses: Dual purpose (eat + cook)

• List of other varieties that will pollinate Blenheim Orange

Blenheim Orange is a popular large English heritage apple variety, widely grown in gardens. It has the characteristic orange flush which is often associated with English apples. Although it can be eaten fresh, it is best considered a culinary apple, and it cooks to a stiff puree.

Blenheim Orange makes a good feature tree in a larger garden.

How to grow

Blenheim Orange produces a large vigorous tree, with unusually dense wood. It is a triploid variety so it needs two separate pollinating apple trees nearby.

This is slow-growing long-lived variety which takes a while to get into its stride. Victorian author Hogg, writing at the end of the 19th century noted that Blenheim Orange noted, "... when it becomes a little aged, it bears regular and abundant crops".

Advice on fruit tree pollination.

Historical details

Blenheim Orange is believed to date back to early 18th century. It was discovered at Woodstock in Oxfordshire, and named after the nearby Blenheim Palace. The parentage is unknown.