Apples are our most important temperate climate fruit and their ease of cultivation and adaptability has seen them spread throughout the world to almost every niche habitated by man. The modern apple is fed to us by supermarkets and grocers who are more interested in yields, storage and marketing making, it impossible to access the hundeds of wonderful varieties that used to be grown.
Our apples are grafted on dwarfing rootstock which produce a tree that can be kept to a height of 2m and are very precocious, starting to fruit often in their second year. Six varieties can give you fruit over a 6 month but once you're hooked on growing your own, you'll just want to grow more! We have selected some 70 of our best varieties of apples this year based on their variety of flavour, character and ripening time and would like to share their delights with you.

Please see our out of stocks page for varieties that are sold out this season.

All apples are $24 each (inc. GST)

AKANÉ Some consider this the best early commercial apple. It is actually a cross between Worcester Pearmain and Jonathon. It has bright stripy red skin and a uncomplicated sweet flavour. It is very crisp and stores and transports well for an early apple. Ripens late January.

ALEXANDER A large sized apple that appeared in Ukraine in the 1700’s and quickly spread through Europe, valued because of its hardiness and heavy regular bearing. Alexander is brilliant orange/red on the sunny side and eats and cooks well for about the month of March.

ANDRE SAUVAGE This apple definitely has French character, albeit of unknown origin and often misnamed. It is largish in size and blocky oblong in shape with a fine russet skin and greenish crisp tart yet sweet aromatic flesh. It's an apple of very high quality. Ripens April - May.

BEAUTY OF BATH A very popular old apple from the west of England during the 19th century. It's one of the earliest apples - maturing in most parts of Australia around Christmas. Small in size, an attractive red flush / stripe over yellow skin. The flesh is creamy white with a fairly sharp but sweet flavour and quite aromatic. Tends to bear heavily and regularly, and fruit fall easily from the tree when ripe.

BELLE CACHEUSE There is no mention of this “beauty” in any apple literature. Assumedly French, absolutely huge in size and very giving. Greenish skin with red and orange stripes. Coarse sweet flesh and obviously a cooker but never the less appreciated fresh too. Matures March here in Tasmania.

BELLE de BOSKOOP This is a large Dutch apple from about 1850. Brownish red skin with russet, cream flesh, quite coarse, with distinct aromatic flavour and cooks just beautifully. Biennial bearer, matures May. Remembered with nostalgia by many European immigrants to Australia.

BLENHEIM ORANGE One of the most famous English apples, originating around 1740 near Blenheim Castle. Rather large in size with orangey yellow skin striped dull red. Flesh coarse and yellow, but rich and aromatic in taste. A true dual purpose apple - great fresh or cooked. Ripens early March. Triploid (needs pollinator).

BONZA Although we don’t grow Jonathon, we grow it’s parent - Estopus Sptizenberg and three of it’s progeny - Bonza, Jonagold and Akane. Bonza is a seedling of Jonathon that originated in Batlow NSW in the 1920’s. It’s a highly flavoured mid season apple that has the desirable attribute of staying in very good condition on the tree for over a month. Conical in shape and quite large in size, Bonza is one of our favourite Australian apples.

BRAEBURN A NZ apple of high quality and flavour, maturing late. One of the crispest with juicy flesh and a nice sweet/tart balance. The fruit are quite long and blocky in shape with attractive red stripes on a yellow background. Braeburn has become a very popular commercial apple in the UK.

BRAMLEY'S SEEDLING England's most popular cooking apple - and for good reason as when cooked produces a puree that is unsurpassable. It has firm tart acid flesh, with green flushed brownish-red skin on the sunny side. Large in size with irregular shape, stores well. Matures March. Triploid (needs pollinator).

CALVILLE BLANC D'HIVER A true historic apple as old as possibly 1600 with a yellowish russeted skin. Rich aromatic flavour - wonderful eaten fresh and known in Normandy for being a great cider apple. When cooked holds it's flesh and has a remarkably good flavour - the essential ingredient for a French "tarte au pommes". Ripens late Autumn. Triploid (needs pollinator).

CAMPBELLTOWN RUSSET This unique russet was sourced from Campbelltown, Tasmania. It has an even brown russet skin and almost a greenish flesh thats brisk and aromatic in taste. A heavy and regular cropper of largish fruit. Ripens early for a russet in March.

CATSHEAD An unusual old English cooking apple, very large in size and long and narrow in shape. Catshead is primarily a cooker (a costard) and develops a wonderful spicy flavour.

CORNISH AROMATIC From Cornwall, English discovered in 1813. A high quality dessert apple, quite flat with yellow flushed, red skin with occasional russet patches. Quite handsome. The flesh is firm, yellow and when caught at its peak has a wonderfully aromatic flavour with a hint of anise. Ripe here in early May.

COURT OF WICK A small russet apple from Somerset UK 1790 with rich aromatic yellow flesh and yellow / orange russet skin. Also called "Aniseed", "Golden Drop" or "Glass of Wine".

COURT PENDU PLAT This is considered the oldest apple known, introduced into Europe in Roman times. It's small in size, yellow skin flushed orange and red, sometimes russet. Creamy, brisk acid flavour. Flowers very late (avoids frost) and is really great for a 1500 year old apple!

COX'S ORANGE PIPPIN This must be the world's most esteemed apple with a rich complex aromatic flavour. In terms of flavour, it's held as a benchmark against which all others are measured. Of the many strains of Cox's (including the larger red Queen Cox) ours is an older russetted one, with attractive red stripes on yellow skin. Matures in March.

ESOPUS SPITZENBURG Famous American apple from upstate New York dating from the 18th century and thought to be a favourite of Thomas Jefferson. It has brilliant red skin with yellow flecks and rich juicy sprightly yellow flesh. It rates highly in taste tests and ripens April.

FENOUILLET GRIS This is the most unusual apple we grow - it's as far from the supermarket stereotype as you can get. It's small and blocky and totally russetted. The flesh is deep yellow and has a distinctly delicious anise flavour. No apple collection is complete without this one.

FREYBERG This apple was bred by John Kidd in NZ along with Gala and Kidd's Orange. It is a cross between Golden Delicious and Cox's Orange Pippin, and it's character and flavour very much reflects this cross. Similar in appearance to Golden but with a wonderful spicy flavour and a hint of anise. Ripens mid season, but hangs well and continues to develop flavour even when very ripe. Very memorable and a favourite of everyone that tries it.

FUJI A newish Japanese variety similar but considered superior to Red Delicious - one of it's parents. It has an attractive red skin, a crisp white flesh and an uncomplicated flavour. Fuji is an apple that actually improves its quality and flavour in cool storage. A thoroughly modern apple. One of the latest maturing varieties.

GEEVESTON FANNY The story goes like this: about 1870 Mr Hawkins, the storekeeper at Shipwrights Point near Huonville imported 6 apple trees of unknown variety and sold them to a Mr Evans of Geeveston. One in particular appealed to Mr Evans and he named it Susan’s Pride after his wife. IN 1908 Mr Ashlin obtained scions of this variety and reworked 4 acres of his orchard to it, renaming it after his wife Fanny. It became a important local variety because of its good quality colour and resistance to black spot. In 1970 127,000 boxes of this variety were exported. It is a small fruit, dark purplish red and flattish in shape. Matures April, very heavy and regular bearer.

GOLDEN HARVEY Most likely originating from Herefordshire UK in the 1600’s. Small apples, russeted with an orangey / red blush and yellow flesh of rich aromatic flavour that intensifies as the fruit ripens. Tends to bear heavily.

GRAND DUKE CONSTANTINE From Russia 1800’s, a very large pinky red dual purpose apple that everyone seems to like. White crisp uncomplicated flavoured flesh - matures here late March. A very impressive apple.

GRANNY SMITH Granny originated as a chance seedling in the back garden of a Mrs. Thomas Smith of Ryde near Sydney around 1860. It's thought to be the progeny of a variety called "French Crab" which it closely resembles. Grannys are large and very green with prominent dots on the skin. The white flesh is very crisp, juicy and acid. Unfortunately the public seldom have a chance to eat fully mature Grannys straight off the tree as they are picked in March and cool stored. If left on the tree long enough they go dull yellow and really are good to eat. Great cooked and also in cider when mixed with less acidic varieties.

GRAVENSTEIN One of the world's more esteemed old apples along with Cox's Orange, Calville Blanc, Ribston Pippin and McIntosh. Widely grown particularly throughout Europe but just about everywhere else we've visited including Mexico, California, South America and of course Tasmania. They achieve a good size and lovely colouring, with crisp light sweet flesh when left on the tree to ripen. However, they are often picked too early to catch good early prices. Excellent cooked or fresh and make a very pleasant cider too. Gravenstein is a triploid (needs pollinator) and start to bear in year three on our rootstock.

GRIME’S GOLDEN Found in west Virginia in 1804 and is believed to be the parent of Golden Delicious. Grimes is one of America’s most historic apples. Not dissimilar to Goldens in appearance, however with less regular shape and more russet, it has a fresh aromatic creamy flesh that is very sweet. Matures mid Autumn and keeps well.

HUBBARTSTON’S NONESUCH The American apples of the early 1800’s still owed a lot to their European parents and Hubbartston’s has more of a character of a Ribston Pippin than a Red Delicious. It is a large and particularly dense and heavy apple with a rich sweet aromatic flavour. The skin is often bumpy and russetted, yellowish overlaid with red and pink. It is an all-round apple for fresh eating, cooking and cider.

HUONVILLE CRAB This is probably a hybrid between a crab and a cultivated apple. We found this huge old tree growing in Huonville (Tasmania), weighed down each year by massive crops of large deep purple crabs which have deep red flesh right to the core - quite amazing! Great to eat (especially kids), great cooked and make a very acceptable cider. A customer wrote: "One of our favourite trees is the Huonville Crab. It's a most attractive tree in our flower garden and as you say, the fruit is great to eat - the red flesh surprises everyone who bites into these little purple wonders!"

IDA RED Large, red and very late apple that came out of a breeding programme in Moscow Idaho USA in 1935. A cross between Jonathon and Wagener. The American pomologist Tom Burford immortalised this variety by saying “it has too much flavour for a commercial variety”. Keeps well.

JAMES GRIEVE Originated in Scotland in 1890 and is thought to be a seedling of Cox's Orange. Pale green to yellow in colour James Grieve has softish melting juicy flesh with (for us at least) that perfect sweet/acid balance characteristic of our best fruits like the mango, an Ellendale mandarin or a ripe pineapple. It ripens in February.

JONAGOLD Generally considered the best new (1943) apple around. An American cross between Golden Delicious and Jonathan. Yellowish skin flushed and mottled bright red with a bit of russet. Creamy white flesh with a tantalising taste of both parents. Large in size, quite late and excellent keeper. If they are allowed to develop on the tree, Jonagolds are a truly wonderfully flavoured apple.

LADY WILLIAMS This is a true Australian Federation apple believed to be the daughter of Rokewood and Granny Smith both of which are famous old Australian varieties. It is a large apple, maturing July or even later and keeps extremely well. Brilliant red purple skin, longish conical fruit with excellent flavour. Tree very vigorous and upright. This variety originated in the apple growing areas of West Australia and has a very low chilling requirement.

LAXTON'S FORTUNE Laxton Brothers were England's foremost apple breeders and nurserymen around 1900 and Laxton's Fortune was one of their selections: a Cox's Orange Pippin cross with delicate tender aromatic flesh. Bright red skin on the sunny side. Matures here in March.

LORD LAMBOURNE A cross between James Grieve and Worcester Permain. Often used to be marketed as Cox's Orange Pippin and is of comparable high quality, but a much easier apple to grow and one of the few apples considered to be self pollinating. Orange flush over green skin, with a hint of russet. Flesh creamy white, juicy and well flavoured. Matures late March just after Cox's.

McINTOSH One of the world's most famous apples originating around 1800 in Ontario Canada. It's a bright red apple covered in a bloom like Angelina plums and has beautifully scented white flesh, occasionally with pink streaks. It's reputed to be self fertile and a good pollinator. It's America's most famous apple, but never seems to have taken off here commercially. A McIntosh at its peak straight from the tree is a memorable culinary experience.

MUTSU Is an apple that seems to satisfy all tastes, as I'm always getting good feedback about it. Large to very large in size and a heavy regular cropper, Mutsu has green coarse fleshed fruit with sprightly (some say fruit salad) flavour. Matures late and stores very well. Triploid (needs pollinator). Japanese 1940’s.

PEASGOOD'S NONSUCH In our apple tastings, Peasgood's Nonsuch is always met with disbelief. Huge apples of almost grapefruit size. Coarse, very sweet flesh, cooks well and a great eater. Great name too.

PINE GOLDEN PIPPIN Both our and Peter Cundall’s favourite russet. Ripens late autumn, small in size, crisp greenish flesh with rich aromatic flavour.

PINK LADY Presently our most famous apple: 3rd generation Australian, starting from Rokewood > Lady Williams > Pink Lady and was selected from a West Australian breeding programme (it's a Lady Williams / Golden Delicious cross). It's a fairly large fruit with excellent appearance, pink to pale red blush over a yellow background. Nicely flavoured pale yellow firm flesh. Matures very late and stores very well.

POMME de NEIGE Also known as Snow apple, Lady in the Snow, Fameuse Chimney apple and about 20 more synonyms which attest to its popularity and geographic distribution. Canadian in origin. The smallish flat fruit have greenish white skin blotched and striped bright red. The flesh is very white (sometimes with pink flecks), crisp and juicy and slightly aromatic. One of our most sought after varieties.

PRINCE ALFRED This apple is HUGE, the winner of many an apple competition. It's quite a light fruit despite it's blocky conical shape, dull red in colour, and when ripe may reach the size of a baby's head. Some people enjoy it fresh to eat, and cooks splendidly.

PRINZENAPFEL Also known as Schafnase, an apple long grown in Europe. Longish shape, orange/red in colour with rich dense aromatic flesh. Prinzenapfel ripens in Autumn and keeps well.

REINETTE DORÉE Also called Golden Reinette, one of Europe's most famous old apples. It ripens fairly late, has a russeted skin and dense aromatic flesh. For eating and cooking, Reinette dorée was typically one of those apples cellared to be used from Christmas onward through an European winter.

RIBSTON PIPPIN This apple originated in Yorkshire UK around 1700, considered to be the parent of Cox’s and Sturmer. It’s dark orange with quite a bit of russeted skin - not a beauty by modern standards but its rich dense aromatic flesh makes it one of our favourite apples. “Redolent of Autumn” said an English friend.

ROME BEAUTY Rome refers to Rome in upstate New York (not far from Geneva). This area was one of the East coast's first and most famous apple growing areas. It's one of those classic apples that appeared as a sucker below the graft of an orchard tree. It is large, brilliant red and a very heavy cropper as it doesn't bruise easily, it was quickly adopted as a commercial variety. Likes a hot climate and becomes very sweet. Matures late Autumn into winter.

SAINT EDMUND’S PIPPIN Though russet apples are usually of the late autumn, St Edmunds ripens quite early. It was never a commercial variety but is valued for its sprightly rich flavour. Juicy and sweet with a nice balance of acidity. Skin is a broken golden russet over a greenish background. Originating in St Edmunds, Suffolk UK about 1870.

SAINT LAWRENCE This is undoubtedly the most visually attractive apple we grow. It has pink and red stripes and flushes over a pale green background. Matures early about the same time as Gravenstein. The flesh has a mild sweet flavour but with quite an acid tang. There are lots of old St Lawrence trees in our area and it must have been quite an important commercial variety 50 or 60 years ago.

SPARTAN This midseason Canadian apple is a cross between McIntosh and Newtown Pippin. It has a distinct purplish black skin which polishes beautifully. The flavour is very aromatic, with whiter-than-white crisp melting juicy flesh of highest quality. Great straight off the tree.

SPLENDOUR Like Freyberg and Braeburn, another excellent NZ apple. Large and blocky in shape and orange-red to dark red in colour it has yellowish white very crisp flesh, sweet yet subacid. Ripens late but hangs and stores well.

STURMER Feedback from our customers rates Sturmer as one of the most satisfying apples to grow. It's extremely late, very acid, great eaten fresh, cooked and great for cider too. By modern standards it's no beauty; orange/yellow russeted skin, dense yellowish flesh, medium in size. It's a very heavy cropper and stores well. An essential apple for the home gardener as it extends the apple season well into late winter when most others have finished.

SWEETMAN There is no reference anywhere to this apple in the literature. It is small, yellow skin when ripe, amazingly heavy crops of very sweet apples with a distinctive honey flavour, quite unique. Ripens here during February.

TWENTY OUNCER One of the largest varieties we grow. Huge, rivalling Belle Cacheuse and Peasgood Nonesuch in size. And as the name suggests, fruit up to twenty ounces (566g) in weight! Greenish in colour flushed and striped where the sun gets it. Coarse but tender yellowish flesh, cooks fantastically and is a good eater too- shared between 4 people! Originated in eastern USA, New York or possibly Connecticut about 1840. Ripens early March.

TYDEMAN' S EARLY WORCESTER This is the progeny of one of England's most famous apples, the Worcester Pearmain. An early apple ripening about the same time as Gravenstein. Quite conical in shape, it is bright purplish red on the sunny side. The flesh is aromatic, very fragrant and both sweet and subacid. It's one of the richest flavoured early apples.

UPTON PYNE An apple from near Exeter, UK about 1910. Extremely juicy. We always find it with a unique sweet but slightly resinous intriguing flavour. Ripens in high season here about early April. Fairly large in size, pink and red striped skin over a yellow background with firm white aromatic flesh. An unknown apple but definitely worth preserving.

VISTA BELA In our opinion the best of the early apples. It's of the McIntosh group developed in New Jersey, USA in the 1950's. It ripens about 10 days later than Beauty of Bath. Creamy yellow skin striped scarlet, smallish size with a lovely perfumed crisp and juicy flesh. Matures in mainland Australia around Christmas.

WHITE TRANSPARENT The amazing number of names this apple (eg Klarapfel) has is testament to its popularity and range of places in which it was grown. It’s one of the earliest apples, maturing around Christmas or even before, here in Australia. The skin is whitish yellow and quite dense, while the flesh has a very sprightly acid / sweet balance that once tried is quite unforgettable. Often is glassy. Should be eaten directly from the tree. Originated in Russia a long time ago and spread through Europe in the 1800’s.

WORCESTER PEARMAIN Once a very important early variety in the UK. Very attractive brilliant red apples with very white sweet perfumed uncomplicated flavour. Worcester Pearmain, like Gravenstein were often picked too early to try get better prices and so got a bad reputation. English Worcester, as it was called, originated in Worcester in 1874 probably the progeny of Devonshire Quarrenden. Ripens early in early February. It’s exceptional in that it has been the parent of many other apples - Lord Lambourne, Tydemans Early and Akané. Worcester Pearmain is definitely part of English apple culture.