Apple Trees
Apple Trees
Apples have been a staple of the human diet since ancient times. Their varied shapes, sizes, colours, and tastes provide fruit that is beautiful to the eyes and pleasing to the palate in many forms—fresh, baked, stewed, dried, and in cider, sauce and jelly. When planning to plant apple trees, remember that to ensure pollination and fruit set, two different varieties are required. For example, Idared and Golden Russet trees will pollinate each other, but two Idared trees will not. Some varieties, called triploids, have sterile pollen and cannot pollinate other trees. A third variety is then required to ensure pollination of all trees.
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History: Akane was developed in Japan in 1937 at the Morioka Experimental Station. It is one of several kinds of produce created to better feed citizens and troops during WW2. The name 'akane' literally translates from Japanese as 'deep red.'
Why We Grow It: This crisp, sweet apple is great for fresh eating and has bright red skin. It tends to begin bearing at a young age and is relatively diseases resistant.
History: This classic American cooking apple was discovered by chance around 1740 in Massachusetts. It was eventually brought to the attention of a Col. Baldwin, after whom the variety was later named, who helped to spread it further. By 1850 this was one of the most commonly grown apples in the US, although its popularity began to decline by the 1900s, exacerbated by a terrible winter in 1934 that wiped out a significant number of trees. Despite this, Baldwin is making a bit of a comeback and a monument to this apple still stands in Wilmington, Massachusetts, around where it was discovered.
Why We Grow It: Baldwin apples produce large, greenish-yellow and maroon fruit with firm, sweet flesh that maintains its shape and crispness when cooked. The fruit produced in our test orchard has been attractive and blemish-free.
History: A traditional French cider apple grown in Normandy, it is one of the varieties approved by the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée for use in cider production in the region.
Why We Grow It: This apple produces an aromatic, bittersweet juice that can be used in cider and apple brandy. Although it only bears fruit every other year, it produces a considerable crop in a single season. It is also a great pollinator for other varieties due to its long blooming time.
History: The history of Blenheim Orange is a bit muddled depending on your source. We know it was discovered by George Kempster (either a baker, a tailor, or a basket weaver depending on who you ask!) in England in 1740 and it was originally named Kempster's Pippin. Some say he found it as a seedling growing along a wall of Blenheim Palace while others claim he grew it in his garden located near Blenheim, England. It was later renamed to Blenheim Orange in the early 1800s, likely when it was sold commercially through nurseries. This variety has many other names, including: Beauty of Dumbleton, Blooming Orange, and Northwitch Blenheim. The tree itself is also known for its sturdy wood and it was at one time popularly used to make railway cogs.
Why We Grow It: These large, somewhat flat apples feature orangey-red stripes over yellow skin with some russet. The fruit is good for fresh eating with a nutty taste and is quite nice when paired with cheese. It is also great for cooking and makes a stiff purée. The tree is highly vigorous but can be slow to come into production, although it has heavy crops once it does.
History: Brettacher Sämling (sämling meaning seedling in German) originated as a chance seedling on a farm in Brettach, Germany in the early 1900s. It is possibly a descendent of the French cooking apple, Lebel. It is known for its excellent storage qualities and is still grown commonly in parts of Germany.
Why We Grow It: Brettacher Sämling produces large, juicy apples with a sweet-tart fruity flavour that has a hint of spice. The apples, green with a red blush, are best enjoyed after being stored for two months. They are fairly versatile, also considered suitable for sauce and juice/cider. Compared to other apple trees, this variety is relatively low maintenance and only requires a hard prune every two to three years.
History: Calville Blanc d'Hiver was discovered in France and first documented in 1598. It spread to other countries and was even grown by Thomas Jefferson in Monticello.
Why We Grow It: Known for its rather misshapen and lumpy appearance and the odd red splotches on its green skin, this apples exterior belies a strong, sweet-sharp flavour that makes it great for fresh eating, cooking, and cider. Some claim it rivals Bramley's Seedling as one of the best cooking apples with the added benefit that, unlike Bramley's, it holds its shape when baked or cooked. It is also boasts a high Vitamin C content.
History: This vintage quality cider apple is believed to have originated near Martock in England. This apple is so old it's not entirely certain when exactly it was first discovered, with estimates ranging from the 11th to 14th century.
Why We Grow It: This lesser-known apple is bitter with high acid, featuring a fruity flavour with a bitter aftertaste that is great when made into cider on its own or when mixed into a cider blend.
History: Chisel Jersey is believed to have originated in Martock, England in the 1800s. It spread little outside the immediate area for about a century but during the mid-1900s this apple became quite popular in commercial cider orchards. It has, however, lost some of that renown today despite being an excellent cider apple.
Why We Grow It: With small, green fruit featuring a striped red flush, this bittersweet cider apple is highly recommended in England as well as in Canada. It is high in tannins and sugars but low in malic acid and makes a great cider apple.
History: Cox's Orange Pippin was first grown in England in 1830 and was named after the retired brewer and horticulturalist who first bred it, Richard Cox. Its excellent flavour has earned it a spot as one of the best fresh eating apples in England where it has remained popular ever since. In fact, it still accounts for over 50% of fresh eating apples grown in the UK today. Despite its reputation, it is seldom grown commercially in North America due to its precocious nature and susceptibility to many common apple diseases.
Why We Grow It: This apple's reputation is hard to ignore with its sweet, subtle, aromatic flavour and attractive orange-red skin. Not only is it good for fresh eating, it is also popular in cider blends.
2025 Staff Favourite
Cripps Pink Apples are Jodi's favourite this year! She has this to say about this variety: “I really like Cripps Pink for its crisp/crunchy bite texture along with its sweet-tart flavour. To top it off, they store well so I get to enjoy the crunch of them well into winter.”
All Staff Favourites are 20% off. The Staff Favourite Discount cannot be combined with other quantity discounts.
History: Cripps Pink was developed by John Cripps at the Western Australia Department of Agriculture in 1973 as a cross between Lady Williams (an Australian variety) and Golden Delicious. The successful result was introduced to the market in 1985. In just ten years, Cripps Pink became an extremely popular variety and over a million trees were planted in Australia alone. This variety remains popular in many countries around the world. This apple is also known as Pink Lady which is its brand name when the fruit meets very strict criteria for quality.
Why We Grow It: Cripps Pink has a refreshing honeyed sweet-tart flavour that makes it great for fresh eating, baking, and cider. The lovely fruit, yellow with a pinkish-red blush, is slow to brown and also stores exceptionally well.
History: Dabinetts are an English cider apple named after William Dabinett who happened to find this variety growing in a hedge in the early 1900s. Since then the apple has become quite popular for use in making cider.
Why We Grow It: These smallish apples with speckled red skin produce a high-quality juice which can be used in single-variety ciders or blends. Dabinetts are classified as a bittersweet, are very resistant to scab, and are a reliable cropper.
History: Delbarestivale was developed by Delbard, a nursery in France, in the 1950s. Likely named as a portmanteau of 'Delbard' and 'estivale' (translated from French as 'summer') due to its early ripening time, this variety goes by many other names including Delcorf, Monidel, Dalili, and Ambassy. It was bred in an attempt to create an improved version of Golden Delicious. Although not quite as popular as Golden Delicious, it is still grown commercially in parts of France and England and the Royal Horticultural Society awarded it the Award of Garden Merit in 1998.
Why We Grow It: This French apple is very sweet but balanced nicely with a sharp flavour. The flesh is aromatic and crisp and the skin is a lovely, stripey bi-colour with reddish streaks overlaying green. The apples store quite well for an early-ripening variety, although they do tend to bruise easily.
History: Domaine apples originated in France some time before the 1900s. In the Pays d'Auge region in Normandy, Domaine is one of the 13 cultivars prized for making hard cider (included in that 13 are Fréquin Rouge and Noël des Champs, which we also have available). This apple was brought to the United States in 1949 but remains relatively unknown outside of its country of origin.
Why We Grow It: This bittersharp cider apple is high in tannins and acid but low in sugar. Although not great for single-variety ciders, it can be an excellent addition when used in cider blends.
History: The exact origin of Ellis Bitter is unknown but it is believed to have originated on the farm of a Mr. Ellis in the 1800s in England. It was planted commercially, particularly by growers under contract with the cider-making company H.P. Bulmer. Unlike some older cider varieties, Ellis Bitter still remains relatively common today.
Why We Grow It: Ellis Bitter is an old English cider apple, with good disease resistance, vigour, and production. This variety produces a high quality medium-bittersweet juice with soft, astringent tannins that are suited for blends. It is notable for its early ripening time compared to many cider apples, and therefore adds nicely to an orchard to extend the season. This cultivar has produced very well in the Ontario climate according to trials at the Vineland Research Station.
History: Elstar apples were developed in the Netherlands in the 1950s and are a cross between Golden Delicious and Ingrid Marie. This excellent combination has created what is considered one of the best Golden Delicious offspring. Fittingly, it has since become quite popular in continental Europe. Despite being introduced to the US in 1972, it has not attained the same level of popularity in North America.
Why We Grow It: Elstar is a flavourful variety, fine for fresh eating or sauce with its crisp, juicy flesh; very little acidity. The skin is distinctive, sporting a orangey-red marbled appearance.
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Malus domestica
While sweet apples are available in abundance, sharps (high in acid) and bitters (high in tannin) are more difficult to come by. Whether you make cider on a large scale, or just need a few trees for the backyard, you will find a great selection here of both old and new varieties, particularly sharps and bitters. Please phone for wholesale pricing on large orders.
English Cider Apple Classification
|
Flavour |
Acidity (g/L malic acid) |
Tannins (g/L tannic acid) |
|
Sharp |
over 4.5 |
less than 2 |
|
Bittersharp |
over 4.5 |
over 2 |
|
Bittersweet |
less than 4.5 |
over 2 |
|
Sweet |
less than 4.5 |
less than 2 |
We're happy to offer a selection of crabapples and exceptionally cold hardy apple trees! All of the cold hardy apples in this collection are rated for hardiness zones 2 or even 1 for those in really cold areas.
Our crabapples are more cold hardy than the average apple but tend to be on the smaller and more tart side. Some are good for fresh eating, but crabapples shine in jams, jellies, and ciders. Crabapples also make excellent pollination partners for other apples and crabapples thanks to their larger numbers of blossoms.
