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Fruit EdibleTrees

Malus domestica 'King's Acre Pippin' (D)
  • RHS Plants for pollinators

apple 'King's Acre Pippin'

A late season dessert apple producing crops of aromatic, sweet fruit with greenish-yellow skin flushed with orange and red that store well for three months or more. White to very pale pink blossom emerges from pink buds in spring and this self-sterile, triploid cultivar needs the presence of a pollinating partner in group 3 to set fruit

Synonyms
Malus domestica 'Ribston Pearmain'
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Size
Ultimate height
4–8 metres
Time to ultimate height
10–20 years
Ultimate spread
4–8 metres
Growing conditions
Clay
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained, Well–drained
pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring White Pink Green
Summer Green
Autumn Green Green Yellow Orange Red
Winter
Position
  • Full sun
Aspect

South–facing or West–facing or East–facing

Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H6
Botanical details
Family
Rosaceae
Native to the UK
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

Prefers a deep, fertile, moist but well-drained, neutral soil in a sheltered, sunny position. Will not thrive on very acid soils, shallow chalk soils or with shade for more than half the day. May require fruit thinning to improve fruit size and quality. See apple cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by grafting in midwinter or budding in late summer. Fruit grown from pips will not resemble the parent

Suggested planting locations and garden types
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Patio and container plants
  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Wall side borders
  • Edible fruit
Pruning

Prune according to chosen training method. See apple pruning

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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