Chivers Delight apple
Delightful, easy-going apple, sweet, juicy, crunchy - and some aromatic qualities
Cambridgeshire has a long tradition of fruit-growing, including extensive apple orchards, and the Chivers family started a highly successful jam-making factory at Histon near Cambridge in the late 19th century, using fruit from nearby orchards. The Chivers brand is now part of Premier Foods, and jam production still continues at Histon.
In the 1920s one of the family, Stephen Chivers, started to develop his own apple varieties, of which Chivers' Delight was the most successful. Unfortunately there is little information on the parentage of this lovely apple, although the flattened shape and sweet flavour hint at Cox's Orange Pippin.
Chivers' Delight was popular in the first half of the 20th century but has since fallen out of favour. It is a medium-sized apple, crisp, with a sweet but well-balanced flavour. Definitely worth trying if you manage to find any - this is an excellent apple.
Summary
- Species: Malus domestica
- Parentage: Unknown, might be Cox
- Origin: England, United Kingdom
- Introduced: 1920
- Orange Pippin Cultivar ID: 101100
Identification
- Bultitude apple group: 4. Flushed / striped, smooth, dessert / dual-purpose
Using
- Good for eating fresh
- Flavour quality: Very good
- Flavour style: Sweet/Sharp Some aromatic qualities.
- Ripening period: Late season
- Use / keeping: 1-2 months
Growing
- Cropping: Good
- Flowering group: 4
- Fertility: Self-sterile
- Triploid: No
- Vigour: Average growth
- Gardening skill: Very easy
- Fruit bearing: Spur-bearer
- General disease resistance: Average
Climate
- Suitable for temperate climates
- Tolerates cold winters
- Suitable for N. England?: Yes
Chivers Delight identification photos from official fruit collections
ARS GRIN
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Chivers Delight identification photos from website visitors
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 Chivers Delight 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
- Graham Henderson in SCUNTHORPE, NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE
- Joseph Wallder in Esher, Surrey
- Richard Borrie in YORK, Yorkshire
- Suzanne Goss in HAILSHAM, EAST SUSSEX
- Thomas Mills in MACHYNLLETH, POWYS
Latest Spring blossom records for this variety
2011 season
- 20th April 2011 - tree owned by Thomas in MACHYNLLETH, United Kingdom
2010 season
- 15th May 2010 - tree owned by Richard in YORK, United Kingdom
Record your blossom dates in our Fruit Tree Register - more >>.
Latest harvest records for this variety
2011 season
2010 season
- 2nd week October 2010 - tree owned by Thomas in MACHYNLLETH, United Kingdom
Mature heights for Chivers Delight trees
This table shows the likely mature height for a Chivers Delight 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 Chivers Delight apple trees for sale:
-
Orange Pippin Fruit Trees (UK)
United Kingdom Supplier's website >>
Where to buy apples
No orchards have registered as growing this variety. If you grow this and want to register please go to our Orchard Registration form.
Rate this variety for flavor