Cornish Gilliflower apple trees
£34.95 - £43.00Cornish Gilliflower apple trees for sale
Choose a size - bare-root
BR12-year bare-root tree,M116 rootstock£43.00
Medium tree
(2m-3m after 10 years)
Out of stock
BR21-year bare-root tree,MM106 rootstock£34.95
Large tree
(3m-5m after 10 years)
Out of stock
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Tree specification
Photos of trees as supplied |
Tree sizes and forms
Delivery charges
Delivery for a single tree starts at £9.95, it is calculated based on your postcode.
All about Cornish Gilliflower apple trees
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".
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.
Which pollinators are recommended 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 just ask us.
BraeburnBraeburn is one of the best-flavoured supermarket apple varieties.
Golden HornetMalus Golden Hornet is a traditional white blossom crab apple, with persistent yellow fruits.
John DownieJohn Downie is a traditional crab apple for making crab apple jelly. White blossom and orange-red fruits.
Ellison's OrangeEllison's Orange is a well respected Cox-style apple which can achieve very good flavour.
Newton WonderA traditional English cooking apple, a good alternative to Bramley.
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.
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.
- More pollinators >
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
- What level of gardening skill is needed to grow Cornish Gilliflower?Average
- Is Cornish Gilliflower self-fertile?Not self-fertile
- What flowering group is Cornish Gilliflower?4
- Is Cornish Gilliflower good for pollinating others?Average
- How does Cornish Gilliflower bear fruit?Partial tip-bearer
- What climates is Cornish Gilliflower suitable for?Temperate climates
- What season do you pick Cornish Gilliflower?Very late
- CroppingGood
- How long can you keep Cornish Gilliflower in a fridge?3 months or more
- Food usesEating fresh
- What is the overall disease resistance of Cornish Gilliflower?Good
- Where does Cornish Gilliflower originate from?United Kingdom
- When was Cornish Gilliflower first introduced?1800 - 1849
- What colour is the blossom of Cornish Gilliflower?Pink - 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.
All our trees are certified under the Plant Healthy scheme, supervised by the Plant Health Alliance.
Other stakeholders include Defra and the RHS.
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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.
