Walton's Plant Library

Description:

A popular yellowish-green apple with a rose blush, that is crunchy with a sweet flavor; an early season variety with a very low chill requirement of 300 hours; pair with 'Anna' as pollinator; suitable for warm climates areas

Edible Qualities

Dorsett Golden Apple is a small tree that is commonly grown for its edible qualities. It produces large light green round apples (which are botanically known as 'pomes') with a rose blush and white flesh which are usually ready for picking from mid summer to early fall. The fruit will often fade to chartreuse over time. The apples have a sweet taste and a crisp texture.

The apples are most often used in the following ways:

• Fresh Eating
• Cooking
• Baking
• Sauces

Features & Attributes

Dorsett Golden Apple features showy clusters of lightly-scented white flowers with shell pink overtones along the branches from early to mid spring, which emerge from distinctive pink flower buds. It has forest green deciduous foliage. The pointy leaves turn yellow in fall. The fruits are showy light green apples with a rose blush and which fade to chartreuse over time, which are carried in abundance in mid summer. The fruit can be messy if allowed to drop on the lawn or walkways, and may require occasional clean-up.

This is a deciduous tree with a more or less rounded form. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition. This is a high maintenance plant that will require regular care and upkeep, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Messy
• Disease

Aside from its primary use as an edible, Dorsett Golden Apple is sutiable for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Shade
• Orchard/Edible Landscaping

Planting & Growing

Dorsett Golden Apple will grow to be about 15 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 15 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 3 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 50 years or more. This variety requires a different selection of the same species growing nearby in order to set fruit.

This tree is typically grown in a designated area of the yard because of its mature size and spread. It should only be grown in full sunlight. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.