Freyberg apple tree

• Check pollinators >

• Picking season: Late
• Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
• Pollination group: 3

Freyberg is a relatively unknown apple variety, yet it has an excellent pedigree - it is a cross between the English Cox's Orange Pippin and the American Golden Delicious, two outstanding but very different apples.

In most respects Freyberg is a Golden Delicious style apple - a green skin ripening to golden yellow, with lightly crisp cream flesh and an excellent sweet flavor. The flavor is however quite a lot more complex than a regular Golden Delicious, reflecting the aromatic influence of Cox's Orange Pippin.

See or add reviews

Freyberg apple trees for sale

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

  Out of stock
  Sorry we have sold out for this season

How to grow

Freyberg is generally easy to grow, although it is somewhat susceptible to scab. It produces a small tree but like Golden Delicious, is very productive. Fruit size can be small but this is easily remedied by thinning the fruitlets in early June.

Advice on fruit tree pollination.

History

Freyberg was raised in the 1930s by the famous New Zealand apple breeder J.H. Kidd, who also developed Kidd's Orange Red and Gala. Kidd did not live to see Freyberg (or Gala) but the seedling trees of many of his varieties were bequeathed to the New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, which developed them in trial orchards. Freyberg was named in 1959 after Lord Freyberg, the Governor-General of New Zealand from 1946-1952. It is sometimes incorrectly known as Freyburg.

It is interesting to compare Freyberg with Rubinette, which is also the result of crossing Cox's Orange Pippin and Golden Delicious. These two varieties are therefore sisters, yet in appearance and flavor they are completely different.

Freyberg characteristics

• Gardening skillAverage
• Self-fertilityNot self-fertile
• Pollination group3
• Pollinating othersAverage
• Picking seasonLate
• UsesEating fresh
• Keeping (of fruit)1-2 months
• General resistanceAverage
• FireblightSome susceptibility
• ScabSome susceptibility
• Cold hardiness (USDA)Zone 4 (-34C)
• Summer maximum temperaturesCool ( 20-24C / 68-75F)Warm (25-30C / 76-85F)
• Country of originNew Zealand
• Period of origin1900 - 1949
• Fruit colorGreenGreen - light