With so many different apple trees available to buy, it can be confusing knowing which is the right one for you.

Important considerations include:

Garden size: If size is no restriction, choose a standard or half-standard tree. These give the best yields. If size is an issue, consider a dwarf-bush, spindlebush, pyramid,

A plant that is restricted by pruning to usually one main stem, either upright or at a 45 degree angle, with short fruiting side-shoots (spurs). Apples, pears, gooseberries, tomatoes, redcurrants and whitecurrants are often grown as cordons, especially where space is limited. Sweet peas can be grown as cordons to produce large flowers for exhibition.

Dessert (eating) or culinary (cooking): The majority of apple cultivars are either dessert or culinary, although some are dual-purpose (these are seldom excellent for either use). Many culinary apples become sweeter on storage, lending themselves to dessert use from late winter.

Storage: Some apples need to be eaten within a few weeks of picking, otherwise flavour and texture rapidly deteriorate, leading to wastage if the apples cannot be used fast enough. Apples that can be stored are easier to use without waste, but they can take up much storage space.

Taste: Flavour is usually the most important consideration for most gardeners. Organised autumn 'apple tasting' events are a useful way to determine particular favourites. Unfortunately imported cultivars sold in supermarkets are from warmer countries, and have a different flavour when grown in Britain, even if they grow well, which is often not the case. The majority of fruit cultivars are developed by crossing two known parents and this allows the offspring to inherit certain flavour characteristics. If you know the parentage, you can get an idea of the flavour.

Disease resistance: Resistance to disease is another consideration which varies between cultivars, with modern types often having higher levels of resistance than traditional ones.

Pollination group: For the best yields, apples need

The transfer of pollen grains from a male anther to a female stigma, either within the same flower or between two different flowers. It’s usually followed by fertilisation and seed production. Some flowers are pollinated by insects or other small creatures, others are wind pollinated. It’s also possible to pollinate flowers by hand, if you want to breed new plants or ensure successful pollination when there are few natural pollinators.

Gardeners often use the word variety when referring to a specific plant, but the correct botanical term is 'cultivar'. Whichever word you use, it means a distinctive plant or plants, given a specific cultivar name and usually bred to enhance certain characteristics, such as flower or fruit size, colour, flavour or fragrance, plant size, hardiness, disease resistance, etc. Additionally, it is worth knowing that, botanically, variety has another meaning - it refers to a naturally-occurring distinct plant that only has slight differences in its looks. For example, Malva alcea var. fastigiata differs from typical plants by having an upright habit.

cultivar

Downloads

Apple pollination groups (Adobe Acrobat pdf 58KB)

Although more than 700 apples are listed in the RHS Find a Plant and in nursery catalogues, those with the RHS Award of Garden Merit are especially suitable for use in gardens. Ones that have proved especially reliable are:

Culinary (cooking) cultivars

Name: Emneth Early (Early Victoria) AGM
Pollination group: 3 
Season of use: July-August
Quality: Good
Comments: Early to crop when other apples not yet ripe

Name: Golden Noble AGM
Pollination group: 4 
Season of use: October-December
Quality: Excellent
Comments: Upright habit, reliable and easy to grow

Name: Lane’s Prince Albert AGM
Pollination group: 3 
Season of use: November-March
Quality: Excellent
Comments: Small tree ideal for garden use

Name: Bramley’s Seedling AGM
Pollination group: 3(T) 
Season of use: November-March
Quality: Excellent
Comments: Large tree, best for larger gardens

Name: Dumellers Seedling AGM
Pollination group: 4
Season of use: November-March
Quality: Excellent
Comments: High quality reliable, easy to grow cooker for late winter

Dual-purpose cultivars

Name: Charles Ross AGM
Pollination group: 3 
Season of use: September-November 
Quality: Good
Comments: Good for dessert and cooking during autumn

Name: Blenheim Orange AGM
Pollination group: 3(T)
Season of use: November-January 
Quality: Excellent
Comments: Large tree, best for larger gardens. 

Dessert cultivars

Name: Discovery AGM
Pollination group: 3 
Season of use: August-September
Quality: Fair
Comments: Useful for when other apples not yet ready. Cannot be stored.

Name: Laxtons Fortune AGM
Pollination group: 3 (B) 
Season of use: September-October
Quality: Excellent
Comments: The best autumn dessert apple

Name: Sunset AGM
Pollination group: 3 
Season of use: October-December
Quality: Excellent
Comments: Very reliable and heavy cropping

Name: Egremont Russet AGM 
Pollination group: 2
Season of use: October-December
Quality: Excellent
Comments: Reliable and good for storage

Name: Kidd’s Orange Red AGM
Pollination group: 3 
Season of use: November-January
Quality: Excellent
Comments: Very reliable and heavy cropping

Name: Fiesta AGM 
Pollination group: 3
Season of use: October-March
Quality: Excellent
Comments: Very reliable and easy to grow Cox's type dessert apple to store for late winter

Name: Pixie AGM
Pollination group: 4 
Season of use: December-March
Quality: Excellent
Comments: Very reliable and easy to grow Cox's type dessert apple.  Small fruited.

Name: Greensleeves AGM
Pollination group: 3
Season of use: September-November
Quality: Good
Comments: Easy to grow, reliable, Golden Delicious type apple

Name: Falstaff AGM
Pollination group: 3
Season of use: October-January
Quality: Excellent
Comments: Easy to grow reliable apple for mid-winter

T = Triploid, needing two other pollinators
B = Sometimes produces fruit alternate years if not pruned carefully (biennial)

For more information, see our list of Award of Garden Merit (AGM) fruit and vegetables by clicking here.