Christmas Pearmain apple
Nice apple flavour, sweet but with refreshing sharpness, firm rather than crunchy
Christmas Pearmain is an attractive English apple from the late Victorian period. By today's standards it looks rather old-fashioned - but appealingly so.
The flavour is not perhaps in the first rank of Victorian apples, but nevertheless this is an apple that has a lot going for it. It is basically sweet but with a bit of richness and some sharpness to add interest. The flesh is firm, yellow, and fairly juicy.
It is also an easy apple to grow in the garden, with few problems, and it crops well. It is available from many fruit tree nurseries.
So not the most well-known of the Victorian apples, but a very good all-rounder.
Summary
- Species: Malus domestica
- Parentage: Unknown
- Origin: England, United Kingdom
- Introduced: 1893
- Orange Pippin Cultivar ID: 115400
Identification
- Bultitude apple group: 7. Flushed / striped, some russeting, sweet
Growing
- Flowering period: Early-Mid season
- Flowering group: 2
- Fertility: Self-fertile
- Triploid: No
- Vigour: Slightly small
Christmas Pearmain identification photos from official fruit collections
Christmas Pearmain identification photos from website visitors
Copyright: S. Watt
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 Christmas Pearmain 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
- Barbara in GT. YARMOUTH, NORFOLK
- Kevinincornwall in LISKEARD, UNITED KINGDOM
- Nish Pfister in CHULMLEIGH, DEVON
- Peter Barnard in DONCASTER, LINCOLNSHIRE
- stanwatt2008@hotmail.co.uk in GARDENSTOWN, Aberdeenshire
- Steve in HELENSBURGH, DUNBARTONSHIRE
Latest Spring blossom records for this variety
2011 season
- 7th May 2011 - tree owned by stanwatt2008@hotmail.co.uk in GARDENSTOWN, United Kingdom
- 22nd April 2011 - tree owned by Barbara in GT. YARMOUTH, United Kingdom
2010 season
- 5th May 2010 - tree owned by stanwatt2008@hotmail.co.uk in GARDENSTOWN, United Kingdom
Record your blossom dates in our Fruit Tree Register - more >>.
Latest harvest records for this variety
2011 season
2010 season
- October 2010 - tree owned by Nish in CHULMLEIGH, United Kingdom
Mature heights for Christmas Pearmain trees
This table shows the likely mature height for a Christmas Pearmain 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 | 2.1 ft 0.6 m |
2.6 ft 0.8 m |
3.2 ft 1.0 m |
3.9 ft 1.2 m |
4.7 ft 1.5 m |
| M27 | 2.4 ft 0.7 m |
3.0 ft 0.9 m |
3.6 ft 1.1 m |
4.5 ft 1.4 m |
5.4 ft 1.7 m |
| M9 | 3.6 ft 1.1 m |
4.5 ft 1.4 m |
5.4 ft 1.7 m |
6.8 ft 2.1 m |
8.1 ft 2.5 m |
| Bud.9 | 3.6 ft 1.1 m |
4.5 ft 1.4 m |
5.4 ft 1.7 m |
6.8 ft 2.1 m |
8.1 ft 2.5 m |
| Geneva 11 | 3.6 ft 1.1 m |
4.5 ft 1.4 m |
5.4 ft 1.7 m |
6.8 ft 2.1 m |
8.1 ft 2.5 m |
| Geneva 16 | 4.2 ft 1.3 m |
5.3 ft 1.6 m |
6.3 ft 1.9 m |
7.9 ft 2.4 m |
9.5 ft 2.9 m |
| M26 | 4.5 ft 1.4 m |
5.6 ft 1.7 m |
6.8 ft 2.1 m |
8.4 ft 2.6 m |
10.1 ft 3.1 m |
| Geneva 30 | 4.8 ft 1.5 m |
6.0 ft 1.8 m |
7.2 ft 2.2 m |
9.0 ft 2.8 m |
10.8 ft 3.3 m |
| MM102 | 4.8 ft 1.5 m |
6.0 ft 1.8 m |
7.2 ft 2.2 m |
9.0 ft 2.8 m |
10.8 ft 3.3 m |
| M7 | 5.4 ft 1.7 m |
6.8 ft 2.1 m |
8.1 ft 2.5 m |
10.1 ft 3.1 m |
12.2 ft 3.7 m |
| M116 | 5.4 ft 1.7 m |
6.8 ft 2.1 m |
8.1 ft 2.5 m |
10.1 ft 3.1 m |
12.2 ft 3.7 m |
| MM106 | 6.0 ft 1.8 m |
7.5 ft 2.3 m |
9.0 ft 2.8 m |
11.3 ft 3.5 m |
13.5 ft 4.1 m |
| MM111 | 6.9 ft 2.1 m |
8.6 ft 2.6 m |
10.4 ft 3.2 m |
12.9 ft 4.0 m |
15.5 ft 4.8 m |
| Bud.118 | 7.8 ft 2.4 m |
9.8 ft 3.0 m |
11.7 ft 3.6 m |
14.6 ft 4.5 m |
17.6 ft 5.4 m |
| M25 | 8.7 ft 2.7 m |
10.9 ft 3.3 m |
13.1 ft 4.0 m |
16.3 ft 5.0 m |
19.6 ft 6.0 m |
From an idea by N. Buck - more details.
Where to buy apple trees
The following fruit tree nurseries offer Christmas Pearmain apple trees for sale:
-
Keepers Nursery
United Kingdom More >>
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.
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