Cornish Gilliflower apple trees
- Picking season: Very late
- Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
- Flowering group: 4
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".
Cornish Gilliflower apple trees for sale
Bare-root
BR11-year bare-root treeMM106 rootstock£34.95
Large tree
(3m-5m after 10 years)
BR21-year bare-root treeM25 rootstock£34.95
Very large tree
(4m-7m after 10 years)
Need help? Ask our fruit tree experts
Call us on 01759 392007 or fill in our contact form.
Tree specification
Photos of trees as supplied |
Tree sizes and forms
Pre-ordering
Pre-order now for delivery in September 2025
Delivery charges
Delivery for a single tree starts at £9.95, it is calculated based on your postcode.
Growing and Training
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.
Recommended pollinators for Cornish Gilliflower apple trees
Cornish Gilliflower is not self-fertile, so you will need another different but compatible variety planted nearby in order to produce fruit.
The following varieties are good pollinators for Cornish Gilliflower.
If you are not sure about pollination requirements don't hesitate to ask us.
More pollinators >
BraeburnBraeburn is one of the best-flavoured supermarket apple varieties.
Ellison's OrangeEllison's Orange is a well respected Cox-style apple which can achieve very good flavour.
GalaGala is popular supermarket apple - but better when home-grown, with a sweet pleasant flavour.
Golden GemA traditional crab-apple featuring a mass of white blossom in spring, followed by yellow crab apples.
Golden HornetMalus Golden Hornet is a traditional white blossom crab apple, with persistent yellow fruits.
Harry BakerMalus Harry Baker is a popular crab-apple with deep pink flowers and dark red fruits which are very good for crab-apple jelly.
John DownieJohn Downie is a traditional crab apple for making crab apple jelly. White blossom and orange-red fruits.
King of the PippinsA popular and versatile dual-purpose apple, widely grown in the Victorian era.
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
- Gardening skillAverage
- Self-fertilityNot self-fertile
- Flowering group4
- Pollinating othersAverage
- Fruit bearingPartial tip-bearer
- Climate suitabilityTemperate climates
- Picking seasonVery late
- CroppingGood
- Keeping (of fruit)3 months or more
- Food usesEating fresh
- Country of originUnited Kingdom
- Period of origin1800 - 1849
- Blossom colourPink - light
- Fruit colourGreen
British-grown trees 
Unlike many garden centres and online retailers, the vast majority of our fruit trees are grown in the UK.
Find out more.
In addition, all our trees are certified under the Plant Healthy scheme, supervised by the Plant Health Alliance.
Other stakeholders include Defra and the RHS. The scheme aims to improve UK biosecurity by setting standards
for all growers and retailers involved in selling plants in the UK.
Find out more.
Guaranteed fruit trees
When you buy your fruit tree from Orange Pippin Fruit Trees we guarantee it for the first season in your garden while it gets established. If it doesn't grow successfully, we'll either replace it the following season or offer a refund, subject to some conditions.
Find out more.
More about apple trees
Towards the end of September and into October we see late-season apple varieties beginning to ripen. Their longer ripening period typically means these varieties have the most interesting flavours.
Unlike mid and early season apples which are generally best eaten straight from the tree, many late-season varieties need to be stored in a fridge for a few weeks to mature before their flavours are at their peak. So if you want to be able to eat home-grown apples through the winter then late-season varieties are your best choice.
Some of the most famous English apple varieties fall into this category - including the classic Adams Pearmain, and the ancient Ashmead's Kernel with its peardrop flavours. We also find popular modern varieties such as Spartan, Red Falstaff, Fiesta, and Kidd's Orange Red all coming to perfection at this time of year.
