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)
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.
Blenheim Orange apple trees for sale
1-year Blenheim Orange apple trees bare-root
Medium (8ft-12ft) mature height
$29.00
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*Find out more about the apple rootstocks we use to control the mature height.
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.
Blenheim Orange characteristics
Using
- Picking season:
Late
- Uses:
Eating fresh Cooking Dual purpose (eat + cook)
- Cropping:
Good
- Keeping (of fruit):
1-2 months
- Flavor style (apples):
Sharper
- Cooking result:
Puree
- Fruit persistence:
Normal ripening
Growing
- Gardening skill:
Some needed
- Self-fertility:
Not self-fertile
- Pollination group:
3
- Pollinating others:
Poor
- Ploidy:
Triploid
- Vigour:
Very vigorous
- Precocity:
Slow to start bearing
- Bearing regularity:
Biennial tendency
- Fruit bearing:
Partial tip-bearer
Disease resistance
- General resistance:
Average
- Mildew:
Some resistance
- Scab:
Very resistant
- Bitter pit:
Some resistance
Climate
- Cold hardiness (USDA):
(5) -20F / -29C
- Summer average maximum temperatures:
Cool ( 20C - 24C / 68F - 75F) Cold (< 20C / 67F)
- Frost resistance of blossom:
Susceptible
Identification
- Country of origin:
United Kingdom
- Period of origin:
1700 - 1749
- Fruit color:
Orange flush
- Awards:
RHS Award of Garden Merit