The comprehensive resource for apples and orchards

Akane apple

One of the best early-season apples, popular in the USA, but would appeal to European tastes too.

Akane photo tape

Akane is an excellent early season apple with an unusually good balance of sweet and sharp flavors.  The flesh is firm rather than crisp, but with plenty of juice.

Akane was developed in Japan in the 1930s, and represents an unusual marriage of the classic English early variety, Worcester Pearmain, and the high quality American heritage apple variety, Jonathan - and it is a marriage that works very successfully.

It is popular as a garden apple variety in the USA, yet is little-known in the UK, despite the fact that it has a very "English" flavour.

Last updated 17 Oct 2011.

Summary

  • Species: Malus domestica
  • Parentage: Jonathan x Worcester Pearmain
  • Origin: Japan
  • Introduced: 1937
  • Developed by: Morioka Experimental Station
  • Orange Pippin Cultivar ID: 121600

Identification

  • Fruit colour: Red
  • Flesh colour: White
  • Fruit size: Medium Benefits from thinning.

Using

  • Good for eating fresh
  • Good for cooking
  • Cooking result: Keeps shape
  • Flavour quality: Very good
  • Flavour style: Sweet/Sharp
  • Ripening period: Early-Mid season
  • Use / keeping: 1 week

Growing

  • Cropping: Heavy
  • Flowering period: Mid-Late season
  • Flowering group: 4
  • Fertility: Self-sterile
  • Triploid: No
  • Vigour: Average growth
  • Precocity: Precocious
  • General disease resistance: Good

Climate

  • Suitable for warm climates
  • Suitable for temperate climates
  • Tolerates cold winters
  • Low-chill requirement

Disease resistance

  • Scab  - Some resistance
  • Mildew  - Some resistance
  • Fireblight  - Some resistance

Relationships to other varieties

Parents and other ancestors of this variety:

Offspring of this variety:

See also:

  • Mutsu - Akane and Mutsu were both developed at the Aomori Apple Research Station in Japan

Akane identification photos from official fruit collections


UK National Fruit Collection

©Crown Copyright more >
UK National Fruit Collection

Akane identification photos from website visitors


Photo submitted by Cris Sherman tape


Photo submitted by Cris Sherman

Akane tape


Akane


Rate this variety for flavor

Current rating: 4 out of 5. Total votes cast: 4
 

Visitor comments

(Use the form at the bottom to add your own comments about this variety)

22 Dec 2011 NateISLAND COUNTY, WASHINGTON, United States
Excellent flavour and crispness, but not too dense - my current favorite. Its also well suited to our temperate coastal climate. I've dealt with some mildew but considering the damp climate it does well here. Highly recommended.

31 Oct 2011 Will LanglandsBC, Canada
I have an Akane tree that I planted 25 years ago. It is scab resistant, grows well in our warm coastal climate. As an added bonus, although the apples do not keep for more than a week or so after being picked, they will stay ripe on the tree for more than six weeks. making it relatively easy to eat them fresh for an extended period. An amazing apple for eating, drying, and applesauce.

18 Aug 2011 MichaelWA, United States
I have a semi-dwarf akane and love it. No disease problems to speak of, and the flavor is exceptional- my favorite of all apples.

14 Jul 2011 Marilyn StoffelINDIANA, HUNTINGTON COUNTY, United States
I am trying to locate an apple from grandparent's pasture that looks much like this. It's a rather large apple that makes the best applesauce that has a pink color to it! It always gave it's apples to us in early September and I've been looking forever for whatever it might be. Any help? It was great for eating or sauce. Hoping the antique apple may be close to what I'm trying to find. Thank you for any help and/or ideas.

16 Aug 2010 Edward VielmettiMI, United States
We are just eating our way through a half a peck of these purchased at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market in Ann Arbor, MI. They are exceptionally good tasting.

31 May 2010 DonCALIFORNIA, United States
I am looking for warm climate varities of apples. Does any know how many chill hours are required for this variety? Flavor? Storage life? Month it ripes for harvest?

30 Apr 2010 LeighNEW PLYMOUTH, New Zealand
they have these in the Warehouse now, look OK, what do they pollinate with?

01 Jan 2010 Orange PippinUnited Kingdom
Starter post

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Fruit tree register

Do you have a tree of this variety in your garden or orchard? If so please register the details here and contribute to our international register of fruit trees.

The following Akane trees have been registered - click the name to view more details of each tree.

You can also view these trees on a map.

United States

Canada

Australia



Latest Spring blossom records for this variety

2010 season

  • 20th April  2010  - tree owned by Bren in NEW VIRGINIA, United States

Record your blossom dates in our Fruit Tree Register - more >>.

Latest harvest records for this variety

2010 season

  • 1st week October  2010  - tree owned by Nate in Central Whidbey Island, United States

Mature heights for Akane trees

This table shows the likely mature height for a Akane tree taking into account the vigor of the variety, the rootstock, and soil conditions.

Rootstock Soil quality
Poor Below average Average Above average Very good
P22 2.5 ft
0.8 m
3.1 ft
0.9 m
3.7 ft
1.1 m
4.3 ft
1.3 m
4.9 ft
1.5 m
M27 2.8 ft
0.9 m
3.5 ft
1.1 m
4.2 ft
1.3 m
4.9 ft
1.5 m
5.6 ft
1.7 m
M9 4.2 ft
1.3 m
5.3 ft
1.6 m
6.3 ft
1.9 m
7.4 ft
2.3 m
8.4 ft
2.6 m
Bud.9 4.2 ft
1.3 m
5.3 ft
1.6 m
6.3 ft
1.9 m
7.4 ft
2.3 m
8.4 ft
2.6 m
Geneva 16 4.2 ft
1.3 m
5.3 ft
1.6 m
6.3 ft
1.9 m
7.4 ft
2.3 m
8.4 ft
2.6 m
Geneva 11 4.9 ft
1.5 m
6.1 ft
1.9 m
7.4 ft
2.3 m
8.6 ft
2.6 m
9.8 ft
3.0 m
M26 5.3 ft
1.6 m
6.6 ft
2.0 m
7.9 ft
2.4 m
9.2 ft
2.8 m
10.5 ft
3.2 m
Geneva 30 5.6 ft
1.7 m
7.0 ft
2.1 m
8.4 ft
2.6 m
9.8 ft
3.0 m
11.2 ft
3.4 m
MM102 5.6 ft
1.7 m
7.0 ft
2.1 m
8.4 ft
2.6 m
9.8 ft
3.0 m
11.2 ft
3.4 m
M7 6.3 ft
1.9 m
7.9 ft
2.4 m
9.5 ft
2.9 m
11.0 ft
3.4 m
12.6 ft
3.9 m
M116 6.3 ft
1.9 m
7.9 ft
2.4 m
9.5 ft
2.9 m
11.0 ft
3.4 m
12.6 ft
3.9 m
MM106 7.0 ft
2.1 m
8.8 ft
2.7 m
10.5 ft
3.2 m
12.3 ft
3.8 m
14.0 ft
4.3 m
MM111 8.4 ft
2.6 m
10.5 ft
3.2 m
12.6 ft
3.9 m
14.7 ft
4.5 m
16.8 ft
5.2 m
Bud.118 9.1 ft
2.8 m
11.4 ft
3.5 m
13.7 ft
4.2 m
15.9 ft
4.9 m
18.2 ft
5.6 m
M25 10.5 ft
3.2 m
13.1 ft
4.0 m
15.8 ft
4.8 m
18.4 ft
5.6 m
21.0 ft
6.4 m

From an idea by N. Buck - more details.

Where to buy apple trees

The following fruit tree nurseries offer Akane apple trees for sale:

Where to buy apples

The following orchards and suppliers offer Akane apples for sale. map >

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