Pixie apple
A popular garden variety, and a very good Cox substitute, quite sharp flavour
Pixie is a small apple which is big on flavour. The exact parentage is not known, but it is thought to be Cox's Orange Pippin or Sunset. Since Sunset is also an offspring of Cox it is not surprising that Pixie both looks and tastes very similar to Cox. The flavour is extremely good, tending to be slightly sharper than a Cox, especially just after picking - but it's a refreshing sharpness and certainly not acidic. Pixie is also juicier and crisper than a Cox.
As its name suggests, Pixie tends to be a rather small apple, and for this reason it is not grown commercially. However it makes an ideal apple tree for the garden, since it grows easily and crops well without much effort required on the part of the gardener! It is also resistant to the main diseases of apples, scab and mildew. The main problem is a tendency to over-crop and produce lots of very small apples, but this can be prevented by simply removing a lot of the fruitlets immediately after the tree has blossomed, and in this way some good-sized apples can be produced. Pixie also seems to grow well on dwarfing rootstocks such as M9 and M27, so it will fit in quite a small space.
Pixie is one of the later-ripening varieties, and is ready for picking around the middle of October. It tastes nice straight from the tree, but like many late varieties it also keeps well. In fact, in good conditions the flavour can improve, up to December or January - put the apples in plastic bag with a few holes in, and store in a refrigerator or a cold but frost-free outbuilding.
Anyone who likes a Cox-style apple will definitely appreciate Pixie, and it undoubtedly belongs to the small band of Cox-style apples which come close to the balance and depth of their illustrious parent.
Summary
- Species: Malus domestica
- Parentage: Cox seedling ?
- Origin: England, United Kingdom
- Introduced: 1947
- Orange Pippin Cultivar ID: 104400
Identification
- Bultitude apple group: 7. Flushed / striped, some russeting, sweet
Using
- Good for eating fresh
- Flavour quality: Good
- Flavour style: Aromatic
- Ripening period: Late season
- Use / keeping: 3 months or more
Growing
- Cropping: Good
- Flowering group: 4
- Fertility: Self-sterile
- Triploid: No
- Vigour: Slightly small
- Gardening skill: Very easy
- General disease resistance: Good
Climate
- Suitable for temperate climates
- Suitable for N. England?: Yes
Other qualities
- RHS Award of Garden Merit 1993
Relationships to other varieties
Parents and other ancestors of this variety:
Pixie identification photos from official fruit collections
ARS GRIN
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Pixie 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 Pixie 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
- Cathiegreig in GLENROTHES, fife
- Don Barton in Stourport-on-Severn, Worcestershire
- Elizabeth Moriarty in OXFORD, oxon
- Gary Christie in DONAGHCLONEY, NORTHERN IRELAND
- John Ellis in SALISBURY, Wiltshire
- Terry Smith in HUNTINGFORD, DORSET
Latest harvest records for this variety
Mature heights for Pixie trees
This table shows the likely mature height for a Pixie 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 Pixie 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.
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