Spring 2026*** Last day for pot grown tree orders for this season ***
01759 392007

King of the Pippins apple trees

£34.95 - £46.95
King of the Pippins apples
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King of the Pippins has received the RHS Award of Garden MeritKing of the Pippins is listed in the RHS Plants for Pollinators
  • Picking season: Late
  • Self-fertility: Partially self-fertile
  • Flowering group: 4
  • Awards: RHS AGM (current) 1993

A popular and versatile dual-purpose apple, widely grown in the Victorian era.

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King of the Pippins apple trees for sale

Choose a size - bare-root

  • BR11-year bare-root tree,MM106 rootstock£34.95
    Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years)
    Out of stock
  • BR22-year (1.75m) bare-root tree,M25 rootstock£46.95
    Very large tree (4m-7m 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 King of the Pippins apple trees

King of the Pippins is a widely-grown apple from the Victorian period. It is very typical of the "reinette" style apple, with its flushed orange skin and firm rather than crisp flesh - quite different to the modern supermarket apple.

King of the Pippins is a versatile apple, which is probably the main reason for its success. Although usually considered a dessert variety, it can also be used for cooking - particularly French-style patisseries, since the slices keep their shape when cooked. It is a good juicing apple too, the juice has a good robust flavour and can also be used in cider blends.

Growing and Training

King of the Pippins is a good and reliable cropper. It grows in a compact neat fashion. Disease resistance is fairly good.

Which pollinators are recommended for King of the Pippins apple trees?

King of the Pippins is partially self-fertile, so you do not need another variety to pollinate it to produce fruit. However you will get a better crop if you plant any of the following pollinator varieties nearby. If you are not sure about pollination requirements just ask us.

  • Pollinator Braeburn
    Braeburn
    Braeburn is one of the best-flavoured supermarket apple varieties.
  • Pollinator Golden Hornet
    Golden Hornet
    Malus Golden Hornet is a traditional white blossom crab apple, with persistent yellow fruits.
  • Pollinator John Downie
    John Downie
    John Downie is a traditional crab apple for making crab apple jelly. White blossom and orange-red fruits.
  • Pollinator Ellison's Orange
    Ellison's Orange
    Ellison's Orange is a well respected Cox-style apple which can achieve very good flavour.
  • Pollinator Newton Wonder
    Newton Wonder
    A traditional English cooking apple, a good alternative to Bramley.
  • Pollinator Gala
    Gala
    Gala is popular supermarket apple - but better when home-grown, with a sweet pleasant flavour.
  • Pollinator Golden Gem
    Golden Gem
    A traditional crab-apple featuring a mass of white blossom in spring, followed by yellow crab apples.
  • Pollinator Harry Baker
    Harry Baker
    Malus 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

The origins of King of the Pippins are not certain, but it was first recorded around 1800 in London, where it was introduced by a nurseryman, Kirke of Brompton. It almost certainly comes from France where it is known as Reine des Reinettes, but there are many other synonyms for this variety.


King of the Pippins characteristics

Growing

  • What level of gardening skill is needed to grow King of the Pippins?Average
  • Is King of the Pippins self-fertile?Partially self-fertile
  • What flowering group is King of the Pippins?4
  • Is King of the Pippins good for pollinating others?Average
  • How does King of the Pippins bear fruit?Spur-bearer
  • What climates is King of the Pippins suitable for?Temperate climates

Using

  • What season do you pick King of the Pippins?Late
  • CroppingGood
  • How long can you keep King of the Pippins in a fridge?3 months or more
  • Food usesEating freshCulinaryJuiceHard ciderDual purpose

Problems

  • What is the overall disease resistance of King of the Pippins?Average
  • Is King of the Pippins resistant to scab?Some susceptibility

Identification

  • Where does King of the Pippins originate from?France
  • When was King of the Pippins first introduced?1800 - 1849
  • What colour is the blossom of King of the Pippins?Pink - light
  • Fruit colourOrange flush
  • Which awards has King of the Pippins received?RHS AGM (current)
  • British-grown trees

  • Trees grown in the UK.
  • Plant Healthy scheme logo

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. 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.


This variety description was produced by Orange Pippin staff from first-hand research. Last checked: 15-May-2026.

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