Spring / Summer 2025Pre-order now for delivery September onwards.
Tel. 01759 392007

James Grieve apple trees

James Grieve has received the RHS Award of Garden MeritJames Grieve is listed in the RHS Plants for Pollinators
  • Picking season: Mid
  • Self-fertility: Partially self-fertile
  • Flowering group: 3
  • Awards: RHS AGM (current) 1993

James Grieve is a justifiably popular dual-purpose apple variety, raised in Scotland at the end of the 19th century, the height of the Victorian period of apple development in the UK. It is a very juicy apple, producing plenty of sharp-tasting apple juice.

James Grieve is a mid-season variety that is picked in early-mid September. At this stage it is pleasantly acidic and refreshing and if it is too sharp for eating it can be used for cooking (cut it into small chunks, it keeps its shape when cooked). After a few weeks the flavour sweetens and becomes quite mild, and it is then an excellent apple to eat in slices along with a cheese course. The flesh is soft, somewhat like a firm pear in texture.

James Grieve is an excellent pollinator for many other apple varieties.

James Grieve 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)
  • BR2Cordon-trained bare-root treeM9 rootstock£46.25
    Small tree (1.5m-2.5m after 10 years)
  • BR32-year bush-trained bare-root treeM9 rootstock£44.75
    Small tree (1.5m-2.5m after 10 years)
  • BR41-year bare-root treeM26 rootstock£34.95
    Medium tree (2m-3m after 10 years)
  • BR52-year bush-trained bare-root treeM26 rootstock£43.00
    Medium tree (2m-3m after 10 years)
  • BR61-year bare-root treeMM106 rootstock£34.95
    Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years)
  • BR72-year bush-trained bare-root treeMM106 rootstock£43.00
    Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years)
  • BR82-year bare-root treeMM106 rootstock£43.00
    Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years)
  • BR92-year half-standard bare-root treeMM106 rootstock£46.50
    Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years)
  • BR101-year bare-root treeMM111 rootstock£35.75
    Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years)
  • BR111-year bare-root treeM25 rootstock£35.75
    Very large tree (4m-7m after 10 years)
  • BR122-year (1.75m) bare-root treeM25 rootstock£46.95
    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

James Grieve is well-suited to the UK climate but does better in drier areas. In Scotland it does better on the east than the west. It is prone to premature fruit drop if grown in climates that are warmer than southern England.

James Grieve is a very useful pollinator of many other apple varieties. Not only does it produce far more pollen than most other apples, but the pollen is viable at lower temperatures than is usually the case (down to around 10C as opposed to the 15C-20C range which is most desirable for apple pollination).

Recommended pollinators for James Grieve apple trees

James Grieve 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 don't hesitate to ask us. More pollinators >

  • Pollinator Butterball
    Butterball
    Malus Butterball is named for its bright yellow fruits, which are also good for crab apple jelly.
  • Pollinator Evereste
    Evereste
    Evereste is one of the most well-known crab-apples, featuring white blossom and red-yellow fruits.
  • Pollinator Fiesta
    Fiesta
    Fiesta (or Red Pippin) is one of the best Cox-style apples, easy to grow, with a good aromatic flavour.
  • Pollinator Gorgeous
    Gorgeous
    Malus Gorgeous has pink/white blossom and spherical cherry-like red fruits which are good for jelly.
  • Pollinator Greensleeves
    Greensleeves
    Greensleeves is a reliable and popular mid-season green/yellow apple, easy to grow and productive.
  • Pollinator Katy
    Katy
    Katy is an attractive and versatile early apple variety from Sweden, very easy to grow.
  • Pollinator Red Devil
    Red Devil
    Red Devil is a good apple variety for the UK garden, and produces a sweet red-tinted juice.
  • Pollinator Red Falstaff
    Red Falstaff
    Red Falstaff is one of the best garden apple trees, heavy crops, easy to grow, and very juicy.

History

Edinburgh, Scotland 1893, probably descended from an old Scottish culinary variety Pott's Seedling.


James Grieve characteristics

Growing

  • Gardening skillBeginner
  • Self-fertilityPartially self-fertile
  • Flowering group3
  • Pollinating othersGood
  • Fruit bearingSpur-bearer
  • Climate suitabilityTemperate climates

Using

  • Picking seasonMid
  • CroppingGood
  • Keeping (of fruit)1-2 months
  • Food usesEating freshCulinaryJuiceHard ciderDual purpose

Problems

  • Disease resistanceAverage
  • CankerSome resistance
  • Scab (Apple and Pear)Some susceptibility
  • Fire blightSome susceptibility

Identification

  • Country of originUnited Kingdom
  • Period of origin1850 - 1899
  • Blossom colourWhite
  • Fruit colourOrange flush
  • AwardsRHS AGM (current)

Similar varieties

  • Prince William
    James Grieve is one of the parents of this new bittersweet cider variety.
  • Three Counties
    James Grieve is one of the parents of this new bittersweet cider variety.

British-grown trees Trees grown in the UK.

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

If space is limited these dual-purpose apples are well worth considering. Pick them slightly early to use in the kitchen, or let them ripen and you can eat them fresh.

Early-season dual-purpose apples include Katy and James Grieve, which are both sharp enough to use in pies and crumbles, but also pleasant for eating fresh (particularly if you like a sharper apple). Traditional English varieties like Blenheim Orange and Ribston Pippin come into their own later in the autumn.


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