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Melrose apple trees

Malus domestica
Melrose apples
Melrose is listed in the RHS Plants for Pollinators
  • Picking season: Late
  • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Flowering group: 3

Melrose is a well-regarded American apple, with an attractive red-flushed skin. 

Melrose is very similar to Jonathan, one of the best-flavoured American apples - and one of its parents. The other parent is Red Delicious, and its sweet flavour complements the sharper flavours of Jonathan well. 

This is a good variety if you want to grow apples for storage  - they can be kept for 3 months in a fridge, and the flavour is arguably at its best after a month or so of storage.

Melrose 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 12L pot-grown tree MM106 rootstock£56.50
    Grown for us by Frank P Matthews nursery
    Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years)
    (Belmonte®)
    Out of stock
    Please try next season

Bare-root

  • BR11-year bare-root treeMM106 rootstock£34.95
    Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years)
    (Belmonte®)
    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

Delivery charges

Delivery for a single tree starts at £9.95, it is calculated based on your postcode.

Growing and Training

Its Red Delicious parentage ensures Melrose grows vigorously and productively.

Recommended pollinators for Melrose apple trees

Melrose 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 Melrose. If you are not sure about pollination requirements don't hesitate to ask us. More pollinators >

  • Pollinator Scrumptious
    Scrumptious
    Scrumptious is a modern award-winning early-season English dessert apple.
  • Pollinator Red Falstaff
    Red Falstaff
    Red Falstaff is one of the best garden apple trees, heavy crops, easy to grow, and very juicy.
  • Pollinator Red Devil
    Red Devil
    Red Devil is a good apple variety for the UK garden, and produces a sweet red-tinted juice.
  • Pollinator Sunset
    Sunset
    Sunset is a popular garden alternative to Cox, easier to grow, with a sweet aromatic flavour.
  • Pollinator Fiesta
    Fiesta
    Fiesta (or Red Pippin) is one of the best Cox-style apples, easy to grow, with a good aromatic flavour.
  • Pollinator Spartan
    Spartan
    Spartan produces lots of crimson maroon apples, crunchy, sweet, easy to grow, delicate "vinous" flavour.
  • Pollinator Greensleeves
    Greensleeves
    Greensleeves is a reliable and popular mid-season green/yellow apple, easy to grow and productive.
  • Pollinator Evereste
    Evereste
    Evereste is one of the most well-known crab-apples, featuring white blossom and red-yellow fruits.

History

Melrose was developed in the late 1930s at the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station, Wooster, Ohio. 

It is grown commercially on a small scale in the USA and Europe, and a number of sports exist, usually featuring better skin coloration.


Melrose characteristics

Growing

  • Gardening skillBeginner
  • Self-fertilityNot self-fertile
  • Flowering group3
  • Pollinating othersAverage
  • Fruit bearingSpur-bearer
  • Climate suitabilityTemperate climatesWarm climates

Using

  • Picking seasonLate
  • CroppingHeavy
  • Keeping (of fruit)3 months or more
  • Food usesEating fresh

Problems

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

Identification

  • Country of originUnited States
  • Period of origin1900 - 1949
  • Fruit colourRed - dark
  • Flesh colourCream

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 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.


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