Williams' Pride apple trees

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• Picking season: Very early
• Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
• Pollination group: 2

An early summer apple, with excellent disease-resistance and a pleasant tart flavor.

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Williams' Pride apple trees for sale

Pre-order for delivery in spring 2027

• 1Dwarf, 1-year bare-root tree $41.95 Mature height: 6ft-9ft after 10 years
  Dwarf rootstock
  

  Out of stock
  
• 2Semi-standard, 1-year bare-root tree $41.95 Mature height: 10ft-16ft after 10 years
  Semi-vigorous rootstock
  

  Out of stock
  

All about Williams' Pride apple trees

If you are looking for a very early-ripening eating apple with excellent disease-resistance, Williams' Pride should be on your list. It is a medium-large apple, with a crisp flesh, and tart flavor.

The deep red color of the skin will sometimes bleed into the flesh, producing an attractive marbled appearance.

Unusually for such an early variety, Williams' Pride can be stored (in a fridge) for several weeks.

How to grow

Williams' Pride blooms slightly ahead of the main apple blossom season, but flowers over a long period, and is a good pollinator of many other apple varieties.

The tree is a strong grower, eventually producing a spreading shape.

Unlike many early varieties, which tend to drop their apples, Williams' Pride apples stay on the tree, and can be picked over an extended period of a week or so.

Williams' Pride has a wide climate range and is suitable for both cold and hot climate apple growing areas.

Advice on fruit tree pollination.

History

Williams' Pride was developed by the well-respected "Co-op" breeding program of Purdue, Rutgers, and Illinois (PRI) universities in the 1970s, and originally known as Co-op 23. Its ancestry is similar to that of many of the PRI varieties, utilising Rome Beauty and Malus floribunda, but its early-season character probably comes from Mollie's Delicious and Julyred.

It is named after Professor Edwin Williams, who led the disease-resistant apple research program at Purdue University. 

Williams' Pride characteristics

• What level of gardening skill is needed to grow Williams' Pride?Average
• Is Williams' Pride self-fertile?Not self-fertile
• What flowering group is Williams' Pride?2
• Is Williams' Pride good for pollinating others?Good
• What season do you pick Williams' Pride?Very early
• UsesEating freshJuice
• How long can you keep Williams' Pride in a fridge?1-3 days
• What is the overall disease resistance of Williams' Pride?Good
• How resistant is Williams' Pride to fire blight?Very resistant
• Is Williams' Pride resistant to scab?Very resistant
• Is Williams' Pride resistant to cedar apple rust?Some resistance
• Is Williams' Pride resistant to powdery mildew?Some resistance
• What is the USDA hardiness zone for Williams' Pride?Zone 4 (-34C)
• Summer maximum temperaturesCool ( 20-24C / 68-75F)Warm (25-30C / 76-85F)Hot (>30C / 86F)