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Fruit EdibleTrees

Malus domestica 'Blenheim Orange' (C/D)

apple 'Blenheim Orange'

A culinary and dessert cultivar in pollination group 3 and a triploid. This very vigorous tree is suitable for northerly, colder, higher rainfall areas. The light crops of apples have a yellow-green skin, becoming yellow and flushed orange-red, and a characteristic nutty flavour. Fruits can be used from late September for cooking and from October to December or January as an eater

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Ultimate height

4–8 metres

Time to ultimate height

5–10 years

Ultimate spread

4–8 metres

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

pH

Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

West–facing or South–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Rosaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy
Potentially harmful: Although generally edible when cooked, seeds contain toxins so these should be removed if you are considering eating the fruit, usually grown as an ornamental shrub. see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants for further information and useful contact numbers
Genus: Malus are small to medium-sized deciduous trees with showy flowers in spring and ornamental or edible fruit in autumn; some have good autumn foliage colour
Name status: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

It will crop best in a sunny situation. The height will depend on the rootstock and training method. Keep a clear area around the trunk of at least 60cm radius. Fruit thinning may be required. For more details see apple cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by chip budding or grafting onto a clonal rootstock for fruit. The rootstock used will largely determine the size of the tree

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Wildlife gardens

Pruning

Pruning apples according to age and training form; partial tip-berer

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids, including woolly aphid and rosy apple aphid, fruit tree red spider mite, codling moth and other caterpillars

Diseases

May be susceptible to apple canker, apple scab, blossom wilt, brown rot, fireblight, honey fungus and powdery mildews

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