Sunset apple trees
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- Picking season: Late
- Self-fertility: Self-fertile
- Flowering group: 3
- Awards: RHS AGM (current) 1993
Sunset is a popular Cox-style apple, which we recommend as one of the best alternatives to Cox's Orange Pippin as it is much easier to grow. The parentage is not known but it is almost certainly a seedling of Cox. Disease resistance is far better, cropping is good and reliable, and it is self-fertile.
The flavour is balanced and sweet, with many of the aromatic qualities of Cox's Orange Pippin. Sunset also has the attractive orange-flush so characteristic of Cox and other traditional English apples.
Sunset ripens in mid-September.
Sunset apple trees for sale
Pot-grown
All our pot-grown trees are grown for us to our specification by the Frank P Matthews nursery.
All pot-grown trees are suitable for planting out in the garden, some are suitable for growing in containers.
PG12-year bush-trained 11.5L pot-grown tree M27 rootstock£60.50
Grown for us by Frank P Matthews nursery
Very small tree
(< 1.7m after 10 years)
PG2Premium cordon 12L pot-grown tree M9 rootstock£60.50
Grown for us by Frank P Matthews nursery
Small tree
(1.5m-2.5m after 10 years)
PG32-year bush-trained 12L pot-grown tree M26 rootstock£56.50
Grown for us by Frank P Matthews nursery
Medium tree
(2m-3m after 10 years)
PG42-year bush-trained 12L pot-grown tree MM106 rootstock£56.50
Grown for us by Frank P Matthews nursery
Large tree
(3m-5m after 10 years)
PG5Premium half-standard 12L pot-grown tree MM106 rootstock£61.50
Grown for us by Frank P Matthews nursery
Large tree
(3m-5m after 10 years)
Bare-root
BR11-year bare-root treeM9 rootstock£38.25
Small tree
(1.5m-2.5m after 10 years)
Out of stock
Please try next season
BR2Cordon-trained bare-root treeM9 rootstock£46.25
Small tree
(1.5m-2.5m after 10 years)
Out of stock
Please try next season
BR32-year bush-trained bare-root treeM9 rootstock£44.75
Small tree
(1.5m-2.5m after 10 years)
Out of stock
Please try next season
BR41-year bare-root treeM26 rootstock£34.95
Medium tree
(2m-3m after 10 years)
Out of stock
Please try next season
BR52-year bush-trained bare-root treeM26 rootstock£43.00
Medium tree
(2m-3m after 10 years)
Out of stock
Please try next season
BR61-year bare-root treeMM106 rootstock£34.95
Large tree
(3m-5m after 10 years)
Out of stock
Please try next season
BR72-year bush-trained bare-root treeMM106 rootstock£43.00
Large tree
(3m-5m after 10 years)
Out of stock
Please try next season
BR82-year bare-root treeMM106 rootstock£43.00
Large tree
(3m-5m after 10 years)
Out of stock
Please try next season
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
The main horticultural problem with Sunset is that the apples tend to be quite small, but this is easily corrected by thinning the fruitlets thoroughly in May and early June.
Sunset can be grown reliably throughout much of the UK. It is one of the most disease-resistant of Cox-style varieties.
It is a neat and compact tree, and a good variety for growing in a patio container.
History
Introduced in 1918, unknown parentage but assumed to be a seedling of Cox's Orange Pippin.
Sunset characteristics
- Gardening skillBeginner
- Self-fertilitySelf-fertile
- Flowering group3
- Pollinating othersAverage
- Fruit bearingSpur-bearer
- Climate suitabilityTemperate climatesMild damp climates
- Picking seasonLate
- CroppingHeavy
- Keeping (of fruit)2-3 weeks
- Food usesEating freshJuice
- Disease resistanceGood
- CankerSome resistance
- Scab (Apple and Pear)Some susceptibility
- Country of originUnited Kingdom
- Period of origin1900 - 1949
- Blossom colourWhite
- Fruit colourOrange flush
- AwardsRHS AGM (current)
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 whilst 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.
