Grenadier apple
If you want an early-season English cooking apple, this is the one - good flavour for all sorts of culinary uses, very easy to grow, and crops well.
England is the only country where a major distinction is made between cooking and dessert apples, but these days only one variety remains to maintain the tradition of English cooking apples - the famous Bramley apple. However before the supermarket era the choice was wider, with a whole range of culinary or cooking apple varieties grown, each with their own characteristics and season. Chief amongst the early cooking apples is Grenadier, which ripens by mid-August in the UK.
Not much is known of the origins of Grenadier, but it was discovered during the mid-19th century in England and was quite widely grown by the end of the century, although it is no longer grown commercially.
Two reasons probably account for Grenadier's fall from favour. Firstly, like all early apple varieties it does not store particularly well, a serious drawback for modern distribution methods. Secondly, it is not the most attractive of apples - it is a lumpen green, often with a pronounced ribbed effect. However, this ugliness is transformed in the pot, where it easily cooks down to cream-coloured puree with a superb apple flavour. Grenadier is also a good base for apple jam.
Grenadier is also quite an easy apple tree to grow in the garden, being reliable, resistant to the common apple diseases, and not likely to grow as vigorously as a Bramley. Growing your own is also the easiest way to get over its poor keeping qualities, as you can pick it over a number of weeks.
So if you want to make a light English-style apple pie for a summer picnic then Grenadier is exactly what you need.
Summary
- Species: Malus domestica
- Origin: Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom
- Introduced: 1800
- Orange Pippin Cultivar ID: 102700
Identification
- Fruit colour: Green
- Flesh colour: White
- Fruit size: Large
- Bultitude apple group: 1. Green, smooth, no russet, acidic, culinary
Using
- Good for cooking
- Good for juice
- Cooking result: Puree
- Flavour quality: Good
- Flavour style: Sharper
- Ripening period: Early-Mid season
- Use / keeping: 1 week
Growing
- Cropping: Heavy
- Flowering group: 3
- Fertility: Partially self-fertile
- Triploid: No
- Good pollinator: Yes
- Vigour: Slightly small
- Gardening skill: Very easy
- General disease resistance: Good
Climate
- Suitable for temperate climates Tolerates wet climates
- Suitable for NW. Scotland?: Yes
- Suitable for N. England?: Yes
Other qualities
- RHS Award of Garden Merit 1993
Grenadier identification photos from official fruit collections
ARS GRIN
©Copyright
Grenadier 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 Grenadier 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
- John in Allendale, MI
United Kingdom
- C Hannan-Bobe in Sleaford, Lincs
- Chris Wiseman in LOOE, CORNWALL
- Christine Woolass in GOOLE, Yorkshire
- Court Rawson in Oundle, Northamptonshire
- Dougas Wilson in Perth,
- Elizabeth Hodge in EVESHAM, Worcestershire
- Kevinincornwall in LISKEARD, UNITED KINGDOM
- Maggie Clark in Abbots Langley, Herts
- Margaret Brooker in Ellerker, East Yorkshire
- N. Buck in CAMBRIDGE, Cambridgeshire
- Paul F Darlington in PRESTON, Lancs
- Rhiannon Harrington in READING, BERKSHIRE
- Rhiannon Harrington in READING, BERKSHIRE
- Robert in MIDGHAM, Berks
- Stuart Logan in Newbury, Berkshire
Ireland
- Simon Clarke in DULEEK, COUNTY MEATH
- Ute Bohnsack in KILFENORA, CLARE
Latest Spring blossom records for this variety
2010 season
- 9th May 2010 - tree owned by N. in CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom
- 7th May 2010 - tree owned by Stuart in Newbury, United Kingdom
- 7th May 2010 - tree owned by Christine in GOOLE, United Kingdom
- 6th May 2010 - tree owned by Elizabeth in EVESHAM, United Kingdom
2009 season
- 18th April 2009 - tree owned by N. in CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom
- April 2009 - tree owned by Christine in GOOLE, United Kingdom
Record your blossom dates in our Fruit Tree Register - more >>.
Latest harvest records for this variety
2010 season
- 3rd week September 2010 - tree owned by Chris in LOOE, United Kingdom
- 2nd week August 2010 - tree owned by Ute in KILFENORA, Ireland
2009 season
Mature heights for Grenadier trees
This table shows the likely mature height for a Grenadier 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 |
3.7 ft 1.1 m |
4.2 ft 1.3 m |
| M27 | 2.4 ft 0.7 m |
3.0 ft 0.9 m |
3.6 ft 1.1 m |
4.2 ft 1.3 m |
4.8 ft 1.5 m |
| M9 | 3.6 ft 1.1 m |
4.5 ft 1.4 m |
5.4 ft 1.7 m |
6.3 ft 1.9 m |
7.2 ft 2.2 m |
| Bud.9 | 3.6 ft 1.1 m |
4.5 ft 1.4 m |
5.4 ft 1.7 m |
6.3 ft 1.9 m |
7.2 ft 2.2 m |
| Geneva 16 | 3.6 ft 1.1 m |
4.5 ft 1.4 m |
5.4 ft 1.7 m |
6.3 ft 1.9 m |
7.2 ft 2.2 m |
| Geneva 11 | 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 |
| M26 | 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 |
| Geneva 30 | 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 |
| MM102 | 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 |
| M7 | 5.4 ft 1.7 m |
6.8 ft 2.1 m |
8.1 ft 2.5 m |
9.5 ft 2.9 m |
10.8 ft 3.3 m |
| M116 | 5.4 ft 1.7 m |
6.8 ft 2.1 m |
8.1 ft 2.5 m |
9.5 ft 2.9 m |
10.8 ft 3.3 m |
| MM106 | 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 |
| MM111 | 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 |
| Bud.118 | 7.8 ft 2.4 m |
9.8 ft 3.0 m |
11.7 ft 3.6 m |
13.7 ft 4.2 m |
15.6 ft 4.8 m |
| M25 | 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 |
From an idea by N. Buck - more details.
Where to buy apple trees
The following fruit tree nurseries offer Grenadier apple trees for sale:
-
Orange Pippin Fruit Trees (UK)
United Kingdom Supplier's website >>
Where to buy apples
The following orchards and suppliers offer Grenadier apples for sale. map >
United Kingdommap >
-
England - south-westmap >
- Charlton Orchards, Taunton
Rate this variety for flavor