Golden Spire apple
A good quality yellow cooking apple.
Golden Spire was intrroduced in the Victorian period, primarily as a cooking apple. It was discovered in Lancashire but spread to Gloucestershire where it was known as Tom Matthews and grown for cider production.
It remains popular in England as a garden variety, and is notable for its distinctive cider-like flavour. The flesh is juicy and it cooks to a puree with an excellent apple flavour.
Summary
- Species: Malus domestica
- Parentage: Unknown
- Origin: Lancashire, England, United Kingdom
- Introduced: 1850
- Orange Pippin Cultivar ID: 116300
- 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
- Fruit colour: Yellow / Gold
- Flesh colour: Cream
Using
- Good for cooking
- Good for juice
- Good for hard cider
- Cooking result: Puree
- Flavour quality: Good
- Flavour style: Sharper
Growing
- Flowering period: Early season
- Flowering group: 1
- Fertility: Self-fertile
- Triploid: No
- Vigour: Weak growing
- Gardening skill: Very easy
- Attractive tree
Golden Spire identification photos from official fruit collections
Golden Spire 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 Golden Spire 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
- Alan Mountney in STAFFORD, Staffordshire
Mature heights for Golden Spire trees
This table shows the likely mature height for a Golden Spire 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 | 1.8 ft 0.5 m |
2.2 ft 0.7 m |
2.6 ft 0.8 m |
3.1 ft 0.9 m |
3.5 ft 1.1 m |
| M27 | 2.0 ft 0.6 m |
2.5 ft 0.8 m |
3.0 ft 0.9 m |
3.5 ft 1.1 m |
4.0 ft 1.2 m |
| M9 | 3.0 ft 0.9 m |
3.8 ft 1.2 m |
4.5 ft 1.4 m |
5.3 ft 1.6 m |
6.0 ft 1.8 m |
| Bud.9 | 3.0 ft 0.9 m |
3.8 ft 1.2 m |
4.5 ft 1.4 m |
5.3 ft 1.6 m |
6.0 ft 1.8 m |
| Geneva 16 | 3.0 ft 0.9 m |
3.8 ft 1.2 m |
4.5 ft 1.4 m |
5.3 ft 1.6 m |
6.0 ft 1.8 m |
| Geneva 11 | 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 |
| M26 | 3.8 ft 1.2 m |
4.7 ft 1.4 m |
5.6 ft 1.7 m |
6.6 ft 2.0 m |
7.5 ft 2.3 m |
| Geneva 30 | 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 |
| MM102 | 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 |
| M7 | 4.5 ft 1.4 m |
5.6 ft 1.7 m |
6.8 ft 2.1 m |
7.9 ft 2.4 m |
9.0 ft 2.8 m |
| M116 | 4.5 ft 1.4 m |
5.6 ft 1.7 m |
6.8 ft 2.1 m |
7.9 ft 2.4 m |
9.0 ft 2.8 m |
| MM106 | 5.0 ft 1.5 m |
6.3 ft 1.9 m |
7.5 ft 2.3 m |
8.8 ft 2.7 m |
10.0 ft 3.1 m |
| MM111 | 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.118 | 6.5 ft 2.0 m |
8.1 ft 2.5 m |
9.8 ft 3.0 m |
11.4 ft 3.5 m |
13.0 ft 4.0 m |
| M25 | 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 |
From an idea by N. Buck - more details.
Where to buy apple trees
The following fruit tree nurseries offer Golden Spire 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.
Rate this variety for flavor