Winter 2026Order now for delivery from week commencing 9th March onwards.
01759 392007

Kingston Black cider apple trees

£34.95 - £47.50
Kingston Black apples
Check pollinators >
Kingston Black is listed in the RHS Plants for Pollinators
  • Picking season: Very late
  • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Flowering group: 4

Kingston Black is one of the premier English cider varieties and produces a bittersharp juice.

See our full description ...

Kingston Black cider apple trees for sale

Choose a size - bare-root

  • BR11-year bare-root tree,M116 rootstock£35.50
    Medium tree (2m-3m after 10 years)
    Out of stock
  • BR22-year bare-root tree,M116 rootstock£46.00
    Medium tree (2m-3m after 10 years)
    Out of stock
  • BR31-year bare-root tree,MM106 rootstock£34.95
    Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years)
    Out of stock
  • BR42-year bare-root tree,MM111 rootstock£47.50
    Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years)
    Out of stock
  • BR51-year bare-root tree,M25 rootstock£35.50
    Very large tree (4m-7m after 10 years)
    Out of stock
  • BR62-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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Ask our fruit tree experts on 01759 392007 or fill in our contact form.

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 Kingston Black cider apple trees

Kingston Black is one of the definitive English cider apple varieties and produces a high quality bittersharp juice.

It is one of the few cider varieties where the juice is sufficiently balanced to make a single-varietal cider.

Note that Kingston Black cannot be eaten fresh - it is grown solely for juice / cider use.

Recommended pollinators for Kingston Black cider apple trees

Kingston Black 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 Kingston Black. If you are not sure about pollination requirements just ask us.

  • Pollinator James Grieve
    James Grieve
    James Grieve is the classic Scottish dual-purpose apple. It can be eaten fresh, and is also excellent for juicing and cooking.
  • Pollinator Howgate Wonder
    Howgate Wonder
    Howgate Wonder is a large cooking apple which keeps well. Produces an excellent sharp juice.
  • Pollinator Golden Hornet
    Golden Hornet
    Malus Golden Hornet is a traditional white blossom crab apple, with persistent yellow fruits.
  • Pollinator Katy
    Katy
    Katy is an attractive and versatile early apple variety from Sweden, very easy to grow.
  • Pollinator Golden Delicious
    Golden Delicious
    The flavour of home-grown Golden Delicious is far better than its supermarket reputation.
  • Pollinator Bloody Ploughman
    Bloody Ploughman
    An old Scottish apple variety, named for the crimson-red colour of its skin and stained flesh.
  • Pollinator Michelin
    Michelin
    Michelin is a traditional French cider apple variety producing a bittersweet juice.
  • Pollinator Honeycrisp
    Honeycrisp
    Honeycrisp is an American cold-hardy disease-resistant apple - it shows just how good modern apples have become.
  • More pollinators >

History

Takes its name from the the town of Kingston near Taunton in Somerset, the main cider-growing area of the UK. Thought to have arisen in the 19th century.


Kingston Black characteristics

Growing

  • Gardening skillExperienced
  • Self-fertilityNot self-fertile
  • Flowering group4
  • Pollinating othersAverage
  • Fruit bearingSpur-bearer
  • Climate suitabilityTemperate climates

Using

  • Picking seasonVery late
  • CroppingLight
  • Keeping (of fruit)2-3 weeks
  • Food usesHard cider

Problems

  • Disease resistancePoor
  • CankerSome susceptibility
  • Scab (Apple and Pear)Some susceptibility

Identification

  • Country of originUnited Kingdom
  • Period of origin1850 - 1899
  • Fruit colourCrimson

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.

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 cider apple trees

In England and France there is a tradition of breeding apple varieties specifically for the production of cider. These varieties are generally not edible, but are grown for the qualities of their juice.

Cider production usually relies on a blend of different cider apples, and cider varieties are divided into four groups on the characteristics of the juice they produce:

  Sweeter Sharper
Higher tannin Bitter sweet Bitter sharp
Lower tannin Sweet Sharp

Some mainstream apple varieties can also be used for cider production or in cider blends, and some crab apples are also useful for cider blends.


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