*** Bare-root SALE ***Last week for bare-root tree orders!
Orange Pippin Trees UK logo

Cornish Gilliflower apple trees

Cornish Gilliflower
Cornish Gilliflower is listed in the RHS Plants for Pollinators
  • Picking season: Very late
  • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Flowering group: 4
Cornish Gilliflower is a popular English eating apple with an excellent sweet aromatic flavour.
StarStarStarStarStar empty 2see reviews Add your own review of this variety?

Cornish Gilliflower apple trees for sale

Bare-root

  • BR11-year bare-root tree MM106 rootstock £34.95
    Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years)
    Out of stock
    Alert me
Delivery charges

Delivery for a single tree starts at £9.95. It is calculated when you add trees to your basket, based on your postcode.

Cornish Gillyflower originates from the county of Cornwall. It was discovered in the early 19th century and quickly established a reputation as one of the highest quality apples available in Victorian England.

In the words of Victorian pomologist Robert Hogg it is "remarkable for its rich and aromatic flavour".

How to grow

Cornwall experiences mild winters and summers which are warm but not necessarily hot. Cornish Gillyflower has some natural resistance to scab, a disease which likes these conditions. It is a moderately vigorous tree, fairly easy to grow although not especially heavy-cropping.

It is slightly unusual in being a tip-bearer - the apples are borne on the ends of the previous year's shoots. It is therefore best to keep pruning to a minimum to avoid pruning off next season's fruit buds.

Advice on fruit tree pollination.

History

Discovered by Sir Christopher Hawkins near the town of Truro, Cornwall, England and introduced in 1813. The word "gillyflower" or "gilliflower" or "July flower" are corruptions of the French word "girofle" meaning cloves - a reference to the clove-like scent of the blossom of this apple variety.

Cornish Gilliflower characteristics

Growing

  • Gardening skillAverage
  • Self-fertilityNot self-fertile
  • Flowering group4
  • Pollinating othersAverage
  • Climate suitabilityTemperate climates

Using

  • Picking seasonVery late
  • CroppingGood
  • Keeping (of fruit)3 months or more
  • Food usesEating fresh

Problems

  • Disease resistanceGood

Identification

  • Country of originUnited Kingdom
  • Period of origin1800 - 1849
  • Blossom colourPink - light
  • Fruit colourGreen