Lord Derby apple
A popular good-quality English cooking apple of the Victorian era.
Lord Derby is a traditional large English cooking apple, ripening in the mid-season - early September. It remains a popular apple variety in English gardens, and is a good choice if you are looking for an apple tree for the garden as an alternative to Bramley which can be used in the period from September to November.
Lord Derby is quite easy to identify, on account of its large size, bright green colours and ribbed shape. The Victorian author Hogg rates it as an "excellent culinary apple". The flavour is nicely acidic if picked young, but milder if picked when fully ripe (at which point the skin develops a more yellow hue). Like many Victorian cooking apples, it has naturally good disease resistance.
Summary
- Species: Malus domestica
- Origin: Cheshire, United Kingdom
- Introduced: 19th century
- Orange Pippin Cultivar ID: 157900
Identification
- Fruit colour: Green
- Fruit size: Very large
- Bultitude apple group: 1. Green, smooth, no russet, acidic, culinary
Using
- Good for cooking
- Good for juice
- Cooking result: Textured puree
- Flavour quality: Good
- Flavour style: Sharper
- Ripening period: Mid season
- Use / keeping: 1-2 months
Growing
- Cropping: Heavy
- Flowering group: 4
- Fertility: Self-sterile
- Triploid: No
- Vigour: Slightly large
- Gardening skill: Very easy
- Frost-resistant blossom
- General disease resistance: Good
Climate
- Suitable for temperate climates
Relationships to other varieties
Parents and other ancestors of this variety:
Lord Derby identification photos from official fruit collections
Lord Derby 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 Lord Derby 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
- Anthony Ryan in CAMBRIDGE, CAMBS
- Chris Kettlety in MACCLESFIELD, CHESHIRE
- Clifford Cain in Doncaster, South Yorkshire
- Clifford Cain in BAWTRY, DONCASTER, SOUTH YORKSHIRE
- Harry in COBHAM, Kent
- Janet Coley in BICESTER, OXFORDSHIRE
- Karen Guthrie in CONISTON, CUMBRIA
- Kate Bagenal-Lowe in WOOLER, NORTHUMBERLAND
- Mark Davies in SADDLEWORTH, YORKSHIRE
- Mrs Diane Wilcox in STAFFORDSHIRE
- Nickkk in OLDHAM, LANCASHIRE
- Philip Wray in ANDOVER, HAMPSHIRE
- Suzanne Iley in BIRMINGHAM, WEST MIDLANDS
- Tim Hucker in LONDON,
Ireland
- Kevin Magee in DULEEK, MEATH
Latest Spring blossom records for this variety
2011 season
- 26th May 2011 - tree owned by Mrs Di in , United Kingdom
- May 2011 - tree owned by Philip in ANDOVER, United Kingdom
2010 season
- 13th May 2010 - tree owned by Clifford in Doncaster, United Kingdom
2009 season
- 4th April 2009 - tree owned by Harry in COBHAM, United Kingdom
Record your blossom dates in our Fruit Tree Register - more >>.
Latest harvest records for this variety
2011 season
- 2nd week November 2011 - tree owned by Mrs Di in , United Kingdom
- 1st week November 2011 - tree owned by Philip in ANDOVER, United Kingdom
- 4th week August 2011 - tree owned by Anthony in CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom
2010 season
- 1st week October 2010 - tree owned by Kevin in DULEEK, Ireland
2009 season
- 2nd week September 2009 - tree owned by Harry in COBHAM, United Kingdom
Mature heights for Lord Derby trees
This table shows the likely mature height for a Lord Derby 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 | 2.8 ft 0.9 m |
3.5 ft 1.1 m |
4.2 ft 1.3 m |
5.3 ft 1.6 m |
6.3 ft 1.9 m |
| M27 | 3.2 ft 1.0 m |
4.0 ft 1.2 m |
4.8 ft 1.5 m |
6.0 ft 1.8 m |
7.2 ft 2.2 m |
| M9 | 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 |
| Bud.9 | 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 |
| Geneva 11 | 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 |
| Geneva 16 | 5.6 ft 1.7 m |
7.0 ft 2.1 m |
8.4 ft 2.6 m |
10.5 ft 3.2 m |
12.6 ft 3.9 m |
| M26 | 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 |
| Geneva 30 | 6.4 ft 2.0 m |
8.0 ft 2.5 m |
9.6 ft 2.9 m |
12.0 ft 3.7 m |
14.4 ft 4.4 m |
| MM102 | 6.4 ft 2.0 m |
8.0 ft 2.5 m |
9.6 ft 2.9 m |
12.0 ft 3.7 m |
14.4 ft 4.4 m |
| M7 | 7.2 ft 2.2 m |
9.0 ft 2.8 m |
10.8 ft 3.3 m |
13.5 ft 4.1 m |
16.2 ft 5.0 m |
| M116 | 7.2 ft 2.2 m |
9.0 ft 2.8 m |
10.8 ft 3.3 m |
13.5 ft 4.1 m |
16.2 ft 5.0 m |
| MM106 | 8.0 ft 2.5 m |
10.0 ft 3.1 m |
12.0 ft 3.7 m |
15.0 ft 4.6 m |
18.0 ft 5.5 m |
| MM111 | 9.2 ft 2.8 m |
11.5 ft 3.5 m |
13.8 ft 4.2 m |
17.3 ft 5.3 m |
20.7 ft 6.3 m |
| Bud.118 | 10.4 ft 3.2 m |
13.0 ft 4.0 m |
15.6 ft 4.8 m |
19.5 ft 6.0 m |
23.4 ft 7.2 m |
| M25 | 11.6 ft 3.6 m |
14.5 ft 4.4 m |
17.4 ft 5.3 m |
21.8 ft 6.7 m |
26.1 ft 8.0 m |
From an idea by N. Buck - more details.
Where to buy apples
United Kingdommap >
-
England - northmap >
- Saddleworth Orchard, Saddleworth
-
England - south-eastmap >
- Wigmore Orchard, Tadley
-
England - south-westmap >
- Charlton Orchards, Taunton
Rate this variety for flavor