The comprehensive resource for apples and orchards

Blenheim Orange apple

An 18th century English dual-purpose apple which remains very popular as a garden variety.

Blenheim Orange photo tape

A popular old English apple variety, primarily a cooker.  Good for making 'Apple Charlotte' as it cooks to a stiff puree. Lovely eaten with cheese, having a nutty, quite sweet taste and a crumbly texture.

Our photo shows a redder-sport called Blenheim Red which was found in 1966.

Blenheim Orange is an exceptionally vigorous tree, growing to a similar size to Bramley's Seedling.

Last updated 02 Jan 2011.

Summary

  • Species: Malus domestica
  • Parentage: Unknown
  • Origin: England, United Kingdom
  • Introduced: 1740
  • Orange Pippin Cultivar ID: 100600
  • Some historical details taken with kind permission from 'The New Book of Apples' by Joan Morgan and Alison Richards , illustrated by Elisabeth Dowle, published by Ebury Press, 2002.

Identification

  • Bultitude apple group: 7. Flushed / striped, some russeting, sweet

Using

  • Good for eating fresh
  • Good for cooking
  • Cooking result: Puree
  • Flavour quality: Good
  • Ripening period: Late season
  • Use / keeping: 1-2 months

Growing

  • Cropping: Good
  • Flowering group: 4
  • Fertility: Self-sterile
  • Triploid: Yes
  • Poor pollinator: Yes
  • Vigour: Very large
  • Biennial tendency
  • Gardening skill: Some skill needed
  • Attractive tree
  • Attractive fruit
  • General disease resistance: Average

Climate

  • Suitable for temperate climates
  • Suitable for N. England?: Yes

Other qualities

  • RHS Award of Garden Merit 1993

Relationships to other varieties

Offspring of this variety:

Blenheim Orange identification photos from official fruit collections


ARS GRIN

©Copyright
ARS GRIN

UK National Fruit Collection

©Crown Copyright more >
UK National Fruit Collection

Blenheim Orange identification photos from website visitors


Blenheim Orange tree in blossom tape


Blenheim Orange tree in blossom

Copyright: Catherine Shaw


Rate this variety for flavor

Current rating: 3 out of 5. Total votes cast: 3
 

Visitor comments

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

17 Sep 2010 Adrian HodgesWORCESTERSHIRE, United Kingdom
the tree was in my garden when i came in 1972, this year it is the best it has ever been, it is loaded and have been giving them away, and they taste good.
16 Feb 2009 Richard BanksMILVERTON, ONTARIO, Canada
We used to have an apple orchard near Woodstock, Ontario and we had an old tree that someone had planted years before we even moved there. My dad said he thought it was a Blenheim Pippin. It was very tart, but had a great flavour and kept well. It is a taste I miss!!
28 Oct 2008 Barbara SmithEAST SUSSEX, United States
We have a very old tree in our garden we thought it was a cooker and this year it has produces a very large crop so much so we have given so many away we only found out about the apple when a lady had taken some of the apples and told us it was Bleneheim orange and it was a verry old variety.
04 Oct 2008 J A SutherlandMONMOUTH, United Kingdom
On two occasions I have had very old stumps ruthlessly pruned when I wasn't looking. In a few years it recovers and occasionally crops really well.
29 Sep 2008 Jean StephensonSURREY, United Kingdom
We have a very ancient and decrepit Blenheim Orange which produces a huge crop of beautiful unblemished fruit almost every year, untreated. I think the flavour developes when they are cooked - we love them, so do our friends!
05 Nov 2007 Nigel PuckrinEAST YORKSHIRE, United Kingdom
Found in a bucket outside a farm saying take some to try. It said first found in 1740 growing against a wall at Blenheim Palace, formerly known as Kempsters Pippin. One of the nicest tasting apples I've ever had!
18 Oct 2007 CharlesCRAWLEY, United Kingdom
I have a dwarfed tree in a pot and I think they are the best eating apples in the world! They may be a bit sharp for some people but I love them!
03 Aug 2007 TomUnited Kingdom
I have a Blenheim orange tree in my garden, that nearly every year produces a good crop of large apples. I first used it as a cooker but it does not “fall” when cooked, and I prefer the taste of Bramleys.I have now decided that it is better as an eater. It is excellent with cheese and tastes similar to Egremont Russets. They keep well for a few months in my garage.

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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 Blenheim Orange 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

United Kingdom

Australia

New Zealand

Switzerland



Latest Spring blossom records for this variety

2011 season

  • 28th April  2011  - tree owned by John in MALVERN, United Kingdom
  • 25th April  2011  - tree owned by Malcolm in loughborough, United Kingdom
  • 22nd April  2011  - tree owned by Mary in , United Kingdom
  • 21st April  2011  - tree owned by James in MELBOURNE, United Kingdom
  • 15th April  2011  - tree owned by Peter in HITCHIN, United Kingdom

2010 season

  • 10th May  2010  - tree owned by Tim in , United Kingdom
  • 9th May  2010  - tree owned by John in READING, United Kingdom
  • 30th April  2010  - tree owned by N. in CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom
  • 28th April  2010  - tree owned by Peter in HITCHIN, United Kingdom
  • April  2010  - tree owned by David in SHEFFIELD, United Kingdom

2009 season

  • 20th April  2009  - tree owned by N. in CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom
  • 5th April  2009  - tree owned by Peter in HITCHIN, United Kingdom
  • April  2009  - tree owned by Malcolm in loughborough, United Kingdom

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

Latest harvest records for this variety

2011 season

  • 2nd week October  2011  - tree owned by Jude in PEASENHALL, United Kingdom
  • October  2011  - tree owned by Matthew in SOUTHAMPTON, United Kingdom
  • 2nd week September  2011  - tree owned by James in MELBOURNE, United Kingdom

2010 season

  • October  2010  - tree owned by Pam in GREAT BOOKHAM, United Kingdom
  • October  2010  - tree owned by David in SHEFFIELD, United Kingdom
  • September  2010  - tree owned by Chris in CHIPSTEAD, United Kingdom

2009 season

  • 2nd week October  2009  - tree owned by Peter in HITCHIN, United Kingdom
  • October  2009  - tree owned by N. in CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom
  • September  2009  - tree owned by Malcolm in loughborough, United Kingdom
  • September  2009  - tree owned by Chris in CHIPSTEAD, United Kingdom

Mature heights for Blenheim Orange trees

This table shows the likely mature height for a Blenheim Orange 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 3.5 ft
1.1 m		 4.4 ft
1.3 m		 5.3 ft
1.6 m		 6.1 ft
1.9 m		 7.0 ft
2.1 m
M27 4.0 ft
1.2 m		 5.0 ft
1.5 m		 6.0 ft
1.8 m		 7.0 ft
2.1 m		 8.0 ft
2.5 m
M9 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
Bud.9 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 16 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 11 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
M26 7.5 ft
2.3 m		 9.4 ft
2.9 m		 11.3 ft
3.5 m		 13.1 ft
4.0 m		 15.0 ft
4.6 m
Geneva 30 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
MM102 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
M7 9.0 ft
2.8 m		 11.3 ft
3.5 m		 13.5 ft
4.1 m		 15.8 ft
4.8 m		 18.0 ft
5.5 m
M116 9.0 ft
2.8 m		 11.3 ft
3.5 m		 13.5 ft
4.1 m		 15.8 ft
4.8 m		 18.0 ft
5.5 m
MM106 10.0 ft
3.1 m		 12.5 ft
3.8 m		 15.0 ft
4.6 m		 17.5 ft
5.4 m		 20.0 ft
6.1 m
MM111 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
Bud.118 13.0 ft
4.0 m		 16.3 ft
5.0 m		 19.5 ft
6.0 m		 22.8 ft
7.0 m		 26.0 ft
8.0 m
M25 15.0 ft
4.6 m		 18.8 ft
5.8 m		 22.5 ft
6.9 m		 26.3 ft
8.1 m		 30.0 ft
9.2 m

From an idea by N. Buck - more details.

Where to buy apple trees

The following fruit tree nurseries offer Blenheim Orange apple trees for sale:

Where to buy apples

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

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