The comprehensive resource for apples and orchards

Annie Elizabeth apple

A popular English culinary apple, which keeps its shape when cooked.

Annie Elizabeth photo tape

Annie Elizabeth is an old-fashioned English cooking apple, possibly a seedling of Blenheim Orange, which it resembles in shape and size, and also in its relatively sweet flavour.

This is one of the best apple varieties for any recipe which calls for an apple which keeps its shape when cooked - interesting, given that Blenheim Orange cooks to a puree.

It is also an easy variety to grow in the garden, fairly resistant to most of the usual diseases and tolerant of the wet mild climates often found in northern Europe.  A notable feature is the attractive purple blossom.

Last updated 24 Nov 2010.

Summary

  • Species: Malus domestica
  • Parentage: Possibly a Blenheim Orange seedling
  • Origin: England, United Kingdom
  • Introduced: 1850s
  • Orange Pippin Cultivar ID: 100300

Identification

  • Fruit colour: Red / Orange flush
  • Fruit size: Large
  • Bultitude apple group: 3. Flushed / striped, smooth, acidic, culinary

Using

  • Good for cooking
  • Cooking result: Keeps shape
  • Flavour quality: Good
  • Ripening period: Late season
  • Use / keeping: 3 months or more

Growing

  • Flowering period: Late season
  • Flowering group: 5
  • Fertility: Self-sterile
  • Triploid: No
  • Vigour: Slightly large
  • Fruit bearing: Spur-bearer
  • Attractive blossom
  • General disease resistance: Good

Climate

  • Suitable for temperate climates

Disease resistance

  • Bacterial canker  Pseudomonas syringae  - Some resistance
  • Scab  - Some resistance
  • Mildew  - Some resistance

Relationships to other varieties

Parents and other ancestors of this variety:

  • Blenheim Orange (parent) - Annie Elizabeth is believed to be a seedling of Blenheim Orange

Annie Elizabeth identification photos from official fruit collections


ARS GRIN

©Copyright
ARS GRIN

UK National Fruit Collection

©Crown Copyright more >
UK National Fruit Collection

Annie Elizabeth identification photos from website visitors



Rate this variety for flavor

Current rating: out of 5. Total votes cast: 0
 

Visitor comments

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

10 Oct 2011 Gill TennantCEREDIGION, United Kingdom
I planted a 12 tree orchard when we moved here 30 years ago, and have replaced and supplemented those original fruit trees over the years. I particularly wanted an Annie Elizabeth to extend the fruit season, and the volunteer gardeners at Llanerchaeron, a local National Trust traditional estate where I worked as a volunteer for a time, grafted and grew me one, as it was not available commercially near me. It has been planted for about 8 years now and yielded good crops. This year it has forked sticks protected by cloths supporting very heavily laden branches! I have picked up 4 trays of windfalls and we have only just entered October. My son is visiting to help 'harvest' and take fruit back home!
10 Sep 2011 Neil MaseyEAST SUSSEX, United Kingdom
I have a beautiful specimen that is over 100 years old and is a fantastic shape, having been well tended to over the years. This tree was one of a pair in a small orchard of other trees at the end of the garden of a huge house. This is now my own back garden. The fruit is juicy and delicious and I made 48 jars of spiced apple chutney in 2010 and over 30 pounds of apple sauce from the crop. It seems to have produced more fruit this year but this has ripened many weeks earlier than last year and today (10th Sept) the leaves are already on the turn. My beloved grandma is called Annie Elizabeth and my cherished cat if 18 years is buried under it. I like to think a little bit of her soul is in every apple.
16 Jun 2011 PetekBERKSHIRE, United Kingdom
The tree is in the front garden and seems to produce fruit every two years. It is, sadly, in poor condition and approximately 100 years old
10 Apr 2010 N. BuckCAMBRIDGESHIRE, United Kingdom
Annie Elizabeth is the finest cooked apple that I've tasted - and I grow (or grew) quite a few different varieties of apple to compare against. The fruits also make very well-flavoured but slightly acid eating apples. Blossom buds start off as dark maroon-red, but open to produce pale pink blossom. Annie flowers slightly late, but not so late that pollination could be a problem. As mentioned in an earlier post; the trees have an upright tendency. Disease resistance and pest resistance is good. Over the years, I've grown, planted or grafted several Annie Elizabeth trees and I always find them to be slower to settle in to a new location and slower to get a good root system down. They also seem to grow smaller root systems than many apple trees of similar above-ground size. Another problem with the trees is that the fruits are very large, which causes many fruits to break off under their own weight, when tossed around by strong winds. Either give the tree wind protection, or grow it as a smaller tree that moves less in the wind.....otherwise, accept that strong winds could cause a lot of fruit to drop before it's ripe. If it wasn't for the excellent fruit flavour and overall fairly good resistance to pests and diseases, I would have given up on this variety long ago.
18 Nov 2009 PaulSOMERSET, United Kingdom
hi, i lost my wife in 2007 and 8 months later my 17 year old daughter too, have planted a 31 tree orchard in there memory, but it soon will be 32 ,when i get a annie tree.after reading your comment
03 Nov 2009 ElizabethLEICESTERSHIRE, United Kingdom
I planted an Annie Elizabeth 20 years ago in memory of my daughter and was delighted to read that it comes form Knighton, just a couple of miles up the road from where she was born. I have found it to be a useful all round apple which keeps well and holds its shape when cooked.
27 Oct 2009 MelanieLEICESTERSHIRE, United Kingdom
Annie Elizabeth comes originally from a garden in Knighton, Leicestershire. It is said to have been named after the daughter of the family who died very young. The trees tend to be quite upright .

11 Oct 2009 Anne OsborneSUNSHINE COAST, QUEENSLAND,, Australia
I have heard that 'Annie Elizabeth' originated from an allotment in Knighton, Leicestershire. I have a fondness for this Apple because I am an Annie Elizabeth too.
24 Dec 2008 MalGATESHEAD, United Kingdom
I've just planted one of these on my Gateshead allotment - for my daughter, Annie Elizabeth!
10 Oct 2008 AnnieINDIANA, United States
It's kind of ironic because i was at a local orchard and they had these beautiful apples and i asked one of the little kids working there what it was and he said he didn't know. So I came home and later I was googling my name and this popped up, the exact apple i was looking at! also, annie elizabeth is my name so i will definatly be planting and enjoying these apples!
14 Sep 2008 Ursula BlairBRIGHTON, EAST SUSSEX, United Kingdom
We moved two years ago to Saltdean, in the garden is a large apple tree, the first year we had no apples at all, so thought about getting rid of it. This we have so many lovely juicey apple but I didn't know what they were, your site has just solved that for me. They do cook very well, but intersring to now they can be left on the tree for so long. But how long can you store them, and what is the best way to store them. Many Thanks for your info
25 May 2008 Graham StocksLEICESTERSHIRE, United Kingdom
We have an old tree - planted late 1890s by my great- grandfather. Successfully grafted a few offspring. Fruit can be left on the tree until December - keeps well. We regard this apple as both an eater (if you haven't got too sweet a tooth) and a cooker. Tends to scab and is a biennial fruiter. Wouldn't describe the blossom as purple - more the usual pink and white.

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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 Annie Elizabeth trees have been registered - click the name to view more details of each tree.

You can also view these trees on a map.

United Kingdom

Ireland



Latest Spring blossom records for this variety

2011 season

  • 26th April  2011  - tree owned by Simon in SWANAGE, United Kingdom
  • 1st April  2011  - tree owned by East in OVINGDEAN, BRIGHTON, United Kingdom

2010 season

  • 15th May  2010  - tree owned by Mark/Georgina/Harry/Poppy in DERBY, United Kingdom
  • 14th May  2010  - tree owned by N. in Cambridge, United Kingdom
  • 6th May  2010  - tree owned by N. in CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom
  • 1st May  2010  - tree owned by East in OVINGDEAN, BRIGHTON, United Kingdom

2009 season

  • 2nd May  2009  - tree owned by N. in Cambridge, United Kingdom
  • 1st May  2009  - tree owned by N. in CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom
  • 28th April  2009  - tree owned by N. in CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom

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

Latest harvest records for this variety

2011 season

  • 4th week October  2011  - tree owned by David in WHITSTABLE, United Kingdom
  • 1st week September  2011  - tree owned by East in OVINGDEAN, BRIGHTON, United Kingdom

2010 season

  • 1st week October  2010  - tree owned by Mark/Georgina/Harry/Poppy in DERBY, United Kingdom
  • 1st week October  2010  - tree owned by East in OVINGDEAN, BRIGHTON, United Kingdom

2009 season

  • October  2009  - tree owned by N. in CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom
  • October  2009  - tree owned by N. in CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom
  • October  2009  - tree owned by N. in Cambridge, United Kingdom

Mature heights for Annie Elizabeth trees

This table shows the likely mature height for a Annie Elizabeth 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 2.8 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
M27 3.2 ft
1.0 m		 4.0 ft
1.2 m		 4.8 ft
1.5 m		 5.6 ft
1.7 m		 6.4 ft
2.0 m
M9 4.8 ft
1.5 m		 6.0 ft
1.8 m		 7.2 ft
2.2 m		 8.4 ft
2.6 m		 9.6 ft
2.9 m
Bud.9 4.8 ft
1.5 m		 6.0 ft
1.8 m		 7.2 ft
2.2 m		 8.4 ft
2.6 m		 9.6 ft
2.9 m
Geneva 16 4.8 ft
1.5 m		 6.0 ft
1.8 m		 7.2 ft
2.2 m		 8.4 ft
2.6 m		 9.6 ft
2.9 m
Geneva 11 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
M26 6.0 ft
1.8 m		 7.5 ft
2.3 m		 9.0 ft
2.8 m		 10.5 ft
3.2 m		 12.0 ft
3.7 m
Geneva 30 6.4 ft
2.0 m		 8.0 ft
2.5 m		 9.6 ft
2.9 m		 11.2 ft
3.4 m		 12.8 ft
3.9 m
MM102 6.4 ft
2.0 m		 8.0 ft
2.5 m		 9.6 ft
2.9 m		 11.2 ft
3.4 m		 12.8 ft
3.9 m
M7 7.2 ft
2.2 m		 9.0 ft
2.8 m		 10.8 ft
3.3 m		 12.6 ft
3.9 m		 14.4 ft
4.4 m
M116 7.2 ft
2.2 m		 9.0 ft
2.8 m		 10.8 ft
3.3 m		 12.6 ft
3.9 m		 14.4 ft
4.4 m
MM106 8.0 ft
2.5 m		 10.0 ft
3.1 m		 12.0 ft
3.7 m		 14.0 ft
4.3 m		 16.0 ft
4.9 m
MM111 9.6 ft
2.9 m		 12.0 ft
3.7 m		 14.4 ft
4.4 m		 16.8 ft
5.2 m		 19.2 ft
5.9 m
Bud.118 10.4 ft
3.2 m		 13.0 ft
4.0 m		 15.6 ft
4.8 m		 18.2 ft
5.6 m		 20.8 ft
6.4 m
M25 12.0 ft
3.7 m		 15.0 ft
4.6 m		 18.0 ft
5.5 m		 21.0 ft
6.4 m		 24.0 ft
7.4 m

From an idea by N. Buck - more details.

Where to buy apple trees

The following fruit tree nurseries offer Annie Elizabeth apple trees for sale:

  • Keepers Nursery
    United Kingdom  More >>

Where to buy apples

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

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