Index of Varieties

Click the fruit image or name to view more details of each variety. If the variety you are looking for is not listed here, please let us know by filling in our new variety request form.

	Adam's Pearmain apple Classic Victorian 'pearmain' shape apple with a nutty sweet flavour.
	Aerlies Red Fleshed apple A red-fleshed apple variety from the USA, sometimes known as Hidden Rose.
	Akane apple A good quality dessert apple, popular in the USA, but would appeal to European tastes too.
	Akero apple An heirloom apple variety from Sweden, quite widely grown in Scandanavia, very handsome fruit.
	Alderman apple An English (possibly Scottish) culinary apple, thought to have originated in the 1920s.
	Alexander apple An old and attractive culinary apple, cooks to a puree.
	Alkmene apple A very attractive early Cox-style apple, slightly sharper than Cox, sometimes known as Early Windsor.
	Allens Everlasting apple An old russeted variety from Ireland, and as the name suggests, a good keeper - Hogg reckons it keeps until May.
	Allington Pippin apple A versatile English apple, with a strong pineapple-like flavour, useful for both cooking and eating.
	Almata apple A red-fleshed apple variety.
	Ambrosia apple A sweet modern apple variety from western Canada, quite similar to Golden Delicious.
	Ananas Reinette apple An attractive small yellow apple, with a pineapple-like flavour. Popular in northern Europe.
	Anna apple A very early season Golden Delicious style apple variety from Israel. Bears fruit early in the life of the tree. Prefers warm climates such as southern California, and has a low winter-chill requirement (less than 300 hours).
	Annie Elizabeth apple A popular English culinary apple, which keeps its shape when cooked.
	Antonovka apple A popular small green culinary apple variety from Russia. Also of importance as a rootstock because of its ability to tolerate extreme cold.
	Apricot apple An unusual and little-known apple variety noted for its orange/red flesh.
	Ard Cairn Russet apple An old apple variety from Ireland, with a flavor reminiscent of bananas.
	Ariane apple A good modern French apple variety.
	Arkansas Black apple A long-keeping tart apple from Arkansas, USA - which goes almost black in storage.
	Arlet (Swiss Gourmet) apple A late 20th century apple, developed at the Swiss Federal Research Station, Wadenswill, Switzerland. Keeps well. Similar to Golden Delicious.
	Arlington Pippin apple An attractive yellow/green apple with some red/orange flush. Shares its name with an old Gloucestershire (UK) pear variety.
	Aroma apple A modern apple from Sweden, developed during the 1950s.
	Arthur W Barnes apple An attractive and popular mid-season culinary apple, very versatile in the kitchen, cooks to a puree.
	Ashmead's Kernel apple Very old, drab appearance belies unique peardrop flavour
	Baldwin apple A very popular old American apple variety, widely grown for culinary use, and a good keeper.
	Barnack Beauty apple An attractive old English cooking apple.
	Baumann's Reinette apple Sharp/sweet flavour but fairly bland, quite chewy - looks better than it tastes
	Baya Marisa apple A modern red-fleshed apple variety, developed in Germany.
	Beacon apple One of the first varieties developed by the famous University of Minnesota. Beacon is a bright red early-season apple with a soft flesh.
	Beauty of Bath apple A popular English garden apple from the Victorian era, one of the first to ripen.
	Beauty of Hampshire apple An attractive 19th century dessert apple, possibly related to Blenheim Orange
	Beeley Pippin apple A rare English dessert variety.
	Belle de Boskoop apple A popular old dual-purpose apple from the Netherlands.
	Berner Rosen apple A popular Swiss apple variety, although not well-known elsewhere
	Beverley Pippin apple A very rare English apple from the town of Beverley in East Yorkshire, can be seen at the Beverley Millenium Orchard.
	Binet Rouge apple A French (hard) cider apple variety from the Normandy region, classified as a bittersweet, and often used in the manufacture of Calvados. The same word can be seen in the English Dabinett cider variety, although it is not thought these varieties are related.
	Bismarck apple Cooks to golden yellow puree.
	Blenheim Orange apple An 18th century English dual-purpose apple which remains very popular as a garden variety.
	Blue Pearmain apple An heirloom American apple variety, commonly found in New York state. Named for the blue-colored bloom.
	Bolero apple One of the 'Ballerina' style apple varieties, developed from a McIntosh sport called Wijcik which grows in a naturally columnar style with no side-branches.
	Bountiful apple An easy-to-grow cooking apple, retains shape when cooked, fairly sweet for a cooker. Unusually for a cooking apple, it is quite modern - introduced by East Malling Research Station in the 1960s.
	Bouteille de Liseux apple A French (hard) cider apple variety.
	Braddick's Nonpareil apple The only variety in our top 5 best-flavoured apples which is not related to Cox, very strong sharp flavour but underlying sweetness too - tastes like sour honey
	Braeburn apple A popular "supermarket" apple with a good flavour.
	Bramley (Bramley's Seedling) apple The definitive English cooking apple.
	Brown's Apple apple A traditional English cider variety, produces sharp juice.
	Brown's Seedling apple An English culinary variety from Stamford. Rated by Hogg as handsome, excellent for culinary use, and a good keeper.
	Brownlees russet apple A popular English apple from the Victorian era, widely grown at the time and esteemed for its flavour and blossom.
	Brushy Mountain Limbertwig apple One of a group of antique American apples known as 'Limbertwigs', most of which are good keepers and useful for culinary purposes, often with an aromatic or spicy flavor.
	Bundy's Ringwood Red apple We have no information about this variety, other than that it probably originates from Ringwood in the southern UK.
	Bushey Grove apple Sharp acidic cooker, very juicy
	Calville Blanc d'Hiver apple Ancient French cooker, keeps shape, good choice for tarte aux pommes
	Cameo apple A modern sweet variety, reminscent of Red Delicious.
	Catshead apple An ancient English apple, cooks to sharp firm puree.
	Cellini apple An unusual Victorian variety, primarily a culinary apple but can be eaten fresh. One of the best examples of the aniseed component of apple flavours.
	Charden apple A modern French apple derived from Golden Delicious but with better disease resistance.
	Charles Ross apple Handsome, juicy, versatile English classic - good for old-fashioned English cooking.
	Chivers Delight apple Delightful, easy-going apple, sweet, juicy, crunchy - and some aromatic qualities
	Christmas Pearmain apple Nice apple flavour, sweet but with refreshing sharpness, firm rather than crunchy
	Cockpit Improved apple A Yorkshire cooker, cooks to a sweet puree. An improved version of the original Cockpit.
	Coeur de Boeuf apple Another ancient French cooker, cooks to lemon coloured sweet puree
	Cornish Aromatic apple Old-fashioned variety from Cornwall, some pineapple flavours, very enjoyable
	Cornish Gilliflower apple An important English apple of the Victorian era, with a good sweet aromatic flavour.
	Cortland apple One of the more successful McIntosh offspring, with all the usual characteristics, including the sweet vinous flavour.
	Court Pendu Plat apple Ancient French dessert variety, rich intense unique flavour
	Cox - Queen Cox apple A popular self-fertile sport of Cox's Orange Pippin, similar excellent flavour but slightly easier to grow.
	Cox's Orange Pippin apple Is this the best-flavored dessert apple ever - probably.
	Crawley Beauty apple Primarily a culinary variety, cooks to a puree with a delicate apple flavour - but can be eaten fresh after storing. Good disease resistance and tolerates a wide range of soil types.
	Crispin (Mutsu) apple A versatile dual-purpose apple, sharp but still pleasant to eat fresh.
	Cybele apple Superb new variety from France - sweet, crisp, juicy - one of the best mid-season varieties
	D'Arcy Spice apple An old apple variety from the county of Essex in south-east England with several unusual characteristics, and notable for its spice-like flavour.
	Dawn apple A good-looking dessert variety, fairly sharp flavour
	Decio apple Probably the oldest variety in existence, thought to date back to Roman times
	Delicious apple The original Delicious apple.
	Diamond Jubilee apple Sharp puree, crisp juicy dessert later in season
	Discovery apple A popular English early apple variety, and a good choice for the garden.
	Dumelow's Seedling apple One of the best cooking apples of the Victoria era.
	Egremont Russet apple The definitive English russet apple, with the charateristic sweet/dry "nutty" flavour.
	Ellison's Orange apple One of the best offspring of Cox's Orange Pippin, with a distinct aniseed flavor.
	Elstar apple One of the best Golden Delicious offspring
	Elton Beauty apple An attractive early-season English apple, related to James Grieve.
	Empire apple One of the best McIntosh-style apples
	Esopus Spitzenberg apple One of the great American apple varieties, rumoured to be Thomas Jefferson's favourite apple. Noted for its spicy flavour, and for its susceptibility to any and every disease afflicting apples.
	Estivale apple A very good early/mid-season apple from France.
	Falstaff apple Popular garden apple tree, very heavy crops, easy to grow, very juicy.
	Fameuse apple Also known as the Snow Apple of Quebec, from plantings in early French settlements in Quebec. The tree is very winter hardy. Likely to be the ancestor of McIntosh.
	Fearn's Pippin apple An attractive old English dessert variety from the 18th century.
	Feltham Beauty apple An early season English apple, ripens in mid-August. The flavour is sweeter than most early varieties.
	Fiesta (Red Pippin) apple One of the best Cox-style apples, and much easier to grow. Often marketed as Red Pippin.
	Filippa apple Considered one of the best seedlings of Gravenstein.
	Forfar apple Versatile cooker, recommended for apple charlotte
	Fortune (Laxton's Fortune) apple A good Cox-style variety, with a sweeter flavour and easier to grow.
	Foster's Seedling apple A surprisingly good-looking Victorian cooking apple, which cooks to a very sharp puree
	Freyberg apple The sweetness of Golden Delicious married to strong flavour of Cox - but takes after Golden Delicious. Also known as Freyburg.
	Fuji apple A very attractive modern apple, crisp, sweet-flavoured, and keeps well.
	Gala apple One of the most widely-grown apple varieties, with a sweet pleasant albeit not outstanding flavour, and good keeping qualities.
	Gascoyne's Scarlet apple Produces a pink juice
	Gavin apple Early attempt to breed a scab-resistant dessert apple, surprisingly good sweet/sharp flavour - an under-rated apple
	George Cave apple A very early English apple, popular as a garden apple variety.
	Golden Delicious apple Undoubtedly one of the most important apple varieties of the 20th century, both as a commercial variety in its own right, and as breeding stock for many other varieties. Has a poor reputation amongst apple enthusiasts, but is actually surprisingly good when eaten straight from the tree.
	Golden Reinette apple A very old variety, popular in 18th and 19th centuries, a pleasant mild dry flavour.
	Golden Spire apple A good quality yellow cooking apple.
	GoldRush apple A modern disease-resistant apple variety related to Golden Delicious.
	Granny Smith apple The most instantly-recognised of all apples, and perhaps Australia's most famous export.
	Gravenstein apple An old apple variety from Denmark which is popular in both Europe and North America.
	Greensleeves apple A good garden apple, with a pleasant but unexceptional flavour.
	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.
	Grimes Golden apple Great historical interest as the probable parent of Golden Delicious, with similar sweet flavour and good keeping qualities, and widely planted during early 20th century.
	Herefordshire Russet apple A modern russet with an excellent strong Cox-like flavour, could displace Egremont Russet
	Holstein apple Noted for its excellent orange-yellow juice, fairly soft, slight pineapple flavour
	Honeycrisp apple A crisp, and predomoninantly sweet, modern variety from the USA.
	Howgate Wonder apple Very large cooker, not great flavour when cooked but excellent sharp juice
	Idared apple A fairly bland apple, popular in Europe and notable for its very long keeping qualities.
	Ingrid Marie apple A Cox-style apple from Denmark, quite popular in northern Europe.
	James Grieve apple A versatile cooking apple, excellent for juice, and widely used in breeding programmes.
	Jazz apple A premium supermarket variety with an excellent rich peardrop flavor.
	Jester apple An attractive unpretentious apple, crisp and refreshing, nice flavour but rather bland.
	John Apple apple Soft sweet, slightly chewy
	Johnny Voun apple An old English apple variety, possibly from Devon / Cornwall, possibly a cider apple variety.
	Jonagold apple A very popular commercial variety, with a good flavour.
	Jonathan apple A classic American variety, and widely regarded as one of the best flavoured with a good sweet/sharp balance. A precocious and productive tree in US apple-growing regions.
	Junami apple A new bi-coloured apple from Switzerland, quite similar to Elstar in appearance.
	Jupiter apple One of the best Cox-style varieties, slightly more robust flavour than Cox
	Kanzi apple A great modern dessert variety, derived from Braeburn.
	Karmijn de Sonnaville apple A Cox-style apple from the Netherlands, very attractive autumnal colours
	Katy apple A very attractive and easy-to-grow early apple variety from Sweden.
	Kentish fillbasket apple A 19th century English cooker, "first rate quality" according to Hogg, and as the name suggests, a very large apple
	Keswick Codlin apple An old but ever-popular mid-season English cooking apple.
	Kidd's Orange Red apple In our top 3 for flavour, one of the best Cox-style apples, and adds some of the scented flavour of Delicious, and a good apple for the gardener.
	King David apple A good quality American apple variety, notable for its old-fashioned resistance to fireblight.
	King of the Pippins apple Also known as Reine de Reinettes, sharp, firm, fairly juicy - a good all-round apple
	King of Tompkins County apple An ancient American variety from New Jersery. The fruit is very large, and keeps well.
	King's Acre Pippin apple A good late-season English dessert apple, with a strong flavour. Keeps well.
	Kingston Black apple An important English hard-cider apple variety, producing a bittersharp juice.
	Lady Sudeley apple A well-known and attractive English early-season apple from the late Victorian era.
	Lane's Prince Albert apple A classic Victorian English cooking apple, and remains a popular garden variety.
	Laxton's Superb apple The definitive late Victorian dessert apple, firm, Cox-style but sweeter, understated but very "more-ish".
	Liberty apple Sounds like an heirloom variety, but actually a modern American apple variety, developed specifically for disease resistance. Derived from Macoun, it is very much a McIntosh-style apple, with red skin and juicy flesh. Being grown quite widely in the eastern US, and being promoted as a good variety for the backyard grower too.
	Limelight apple Developed by UK apple breeder H. Ermen, based on the Greensleeves apple from East Malling Research Station.
	Lobo apple A McIntosh-style apple from Canada, generally believed to be better all-round than its parent.
	Lord Hindlip apple A versatile English dessert variety from the late Victorian era, and one of the longest-keeping apples.
	Lord Lambourne apple Popular garden variety, many uses, good balance of sweet and sharp
	Macoun apple Another McIntosh style apple variety from the famous Geneva Research Station, and considered one of the better ones. Like many McIntosh offspring, the fruit can be small unless heavily thinned.
	Maltster apple A 19th century dual-purpose variety, with a very modern red-streaked appearance
	Marcoun apple An old Italian apple variety, with a sweet flavour which keeps very well.
	Margil apple A very old variety, with a good flavour.
	McIntosh apple A crisp red apple with bright white flesh and refreshing sweet flavor.
	Meridian apple An attractive well-flavoured modern English apple, difficult to detect the Cox parentage though.
	Merton Knave apple An early-season English dessert apple, raised in the mid twentieth century.
	Merton Prolific apple An interesting cross between a cooker (Northern Greening) and a dessert apple (Cox's Orange Pippin).
	Merton Worcester apple An interesting early/mid season dessert variety, probably deserves to be better known.
	Monarch apple Cooks to juicy puree, not as sharp as Bramley
	Morgan Sweet apple An old cider apple variety, popular in the "west country" of the UK, and sweet enough to eat fresh.
	Mother (American Mother) apple An old Massachusetts apple variety rated for its flavor.
	Newton Wonder apple A 19th century English cooking apple, still popular as a UK garden apple variety.
	Newtown Pippin apple Made famous by none other than Thomas Jefferson, who grew them in his orchard at Monticello. One of the first US apple exports to the UK. Sometimes known as Albemarle Pippins. Not an attractive apple, but has an aromatic flavour. The well-known Yellow Newtown Pippin is a close relative.
	Nonnetit Bastard apple An attractive late-season quality dessert apple from Denmark.
	Norfolk Beauty apple Cooks to creamy puree, little sugar needed, slight lemon flavour
	Norfolk Royal apple A sweet old-fashioned apple, with a delicate melon flavour - very likeable
	Norfolk Royal Russet apple A superb sweet-flavoured russet style apple.
	Northern Greening apple A very old English apple, widely grown by the 19th century and probably the forebear of many of the major Victorian culinary apples.
	Northern Spy apple A widely grown American heirloom apple variety. The fruit is late ripening and stores well.
	Nuvar® Golden Hills apple A sweet juicy modern mid-season variety, based on Greensleeves but perhaps a bit sweeter. Colour is yellower than Greensleeves and sometimes has a pink tinge to it.
	Opalescent apple A popular large New England apple, sweet, crunchy, juicy, hint of strawberries - a well-flavoured apple.
	Oriole apple An early-season American apple from the University of Minnesota.
	Orkney apple An attractive old apple, probably from Scotland
	Orleans Reinette apple Possibly a very good apple, widely recommended, but we have not found a good example yet!
	Pink Lady® apple One of the best-known modern apples - and one of the most popular pages on this website.
	Pinova apple An attractive yellow apple with a pink/orange flush. Crops heavily and stores well.
	Pitmaston Pineapple apple An old English apple variety with an unusual flavour reminscent of pineapples.
	Pixie apple A popular garden variety, and a very good Cox substitute, quite sharp flavour
	Pott's Seedling apple Probably the parent of James Grieve, popular 19th century cooker
	Rajka apple A modern variety from the Czech Republic, bred specifically for disease resistance.
	Red Delicious apple A very popular American apple, a sport of Delicious, known for its bright red colour.
	Red Devil apple An attractive modern English mid-season apple.
	Red Sauce apple As the name suggests, notable for its pink-stained flesh and resulting pink juice.
	Red Windsor apple A red sport of Alkemene, with the same strong Cox-style flavour, but with a distinctly different appearance. Also known as Sweet Lilibet.
	Reverend W Wilks apple Good early cooker, and easy to grow.
	Rhode Island Greening apple One of the oldest American varieties, known since the 1650s, and widely planted in the USA. Its main use is in cooking.
	Ribston Pippin apple Famous Yorkshire apple variety, probably the parent of Cox's Orange Pippin.
	Rome Beauty apple An extremely attractive red cooking apple, looks far better than it tastes. However a good cooking variety, retains shape when cooked. One of the few heirloom US varieties that is now widely-grown outside the USA - it can be found in many of the warmer apple-growing regions. Unlike most varieties, it has a very low chilling requirement which means it can be grown in areas which do not have cold winters.
	Royal Somerset apple A culinary apple from Somerset, keeps well, and widely-used for making cider. Described by the 19th century writer Hogg as "very excellent".
	Rubens (UK NFC) apple A dry and fairly soft apple with a noticeable hint of bananas, and a very attractive old-fashioned appearance.
	Rubens® apple An attractive modern apple from Italy which is now being promoted in European supermarkets.
	Rubinette apple In our top 3 for flavour, we think it has the best sweet/sharp balance of any apple. If you are serious about apples you have to try Rubinette.
	Saint Edmund's Pippin apple A popular russet apple with the characteristic sandpaper skin and sweet flavour.
	Sans Pareil apple An English apple variety from the Victorian era, or possibly earlier, with a good flavour, deserves to be more widely grown.
	Santana apple A modern apple from the Netherlands, with a pleasant vinous flavour and bred specifically for reduced levels of proteins which can cause allergic reactions for some people.
	Saturn apple An excellent modern English variety
	Scarlet Surprise apple One of the most striking examples of a red-fleshed apple variety.
	Scrumptious apple A new early-season English dessert apple, with very good flavour.
	Shenandoah apple Quite similar to its parent Opalescent, and a pleasant sweet apple in its own right
	Sonya apple A very new apple variety, but already popular with fans of sweeter apples - and one of the most popular pages on this website.
	Spartan apple Attractive, crunchy, sweet, easy to grow, and with the characteristic delicate wine-like "vinous" flavor of the McIntosh family of apples - but flavour fades rapidly in storage so definitely best eaten straight from the tree.
	Splendour apple A popular commercial apple variety in New Zealand.
	Starkrimson apple Crisp, dense flesh, very sweet, quite juicy - a Delicious-style apple
	Stayman's Winesap apple An old American dual-purpose apple variety, popular in Virginia.
	Stirling Castle apple A popular Victorian cooking apple from Stirling in Scotland, produces a good-flavoured puree.
	Sturmer Pippin apple A popular Victorian dessert apple variety, notable for its exceptional keeping qualities.
	Sundance apple A modern disease-resistant apple with an attractive yellow blush.
	Sundowner® apple A late-season apple from Australia, whose varietal name is Cripps Red and which is related to Pink Lady®.
	Sunrise apple One of the best early apple varieties, ripening in the UK in late August.
	Sunset apple Popular garden alternative to Cox, easier to grow, and has a similar flavour albeit lacking some of the depth.
	Tentation apple Another modern take on Golden Delicious, often with an attractive orange flush.
	Topaz apple One of the best modern disease-resistant varieties, fairly sharp flavour
	Tydeman's Late Orange apple A popular Cox-style apple, with a later season and sharper flavour.
	Upton Pyne apple Primarily a cooking variety, notable for a delicate pineapple-like flavour. Cooks to puree.
	Uttwiler Spätlauber apple An old Swiss apple variety, enjoying new-found popularity because of its alleged anti-aging properties.
	Vista Bella apple A very-early season dessert apple.
	Weirouge apple A red-fleshed apple variety.
	Winesap apple Often known as Virginia Winesaps, a tart small apple, and like many US heirloom varieties, keeps well in store.
	Winston apple A Cox-style apple, easy to grow.
	Winter Banana apple Named for the alleged banana-like flavour.
	Winter Wonder apple A modern English variety, developed as a "traditional" English apple.
	Wolf River apple Named after the place where it was found. Notable for its very large size, primarily used for cooking. The tree is exceptionally cold hardy and disease resistant.
	Worcester Pearmain apple A popular early-season English apple, sometimes with a strawberry flavour. Often used in breeding programmes to develop other early varieties.
	Yellow Ingestrie apple An attractive old yellow apple, with quite a strong apple flavour
	Yorkshire Greening apple A very old culinary apple from Yorkshire, also known as Yorkshire Goosesauce.
	Zabergau Reinette apple German russet-style apple, but sharper than Egremont Russet, tastes of nettles when straight from the tree. Keeps for 3-4 months.