Apple (domestic)

Malus domestica

Deciduous fruit tree. Most varieties need cross-pollination from another apple cultivar.

Hardiness ratings

Apple (domestic) hardiness across the four zone systems
SystemRatingTemperature rangeHow to read it
USDA hardiness zone Zone 3–8 −40 °C to −6.7 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
RHS hardiness rating H7 down to −20 °C Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance
Canadian plant hardiness zone Zone 3–8 −34 °C to −1 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
Australian (ANBG) zone Zone 1–4 −15 °C to 5 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone

About Apple (domestic)

Every domestic apple traces back to Malus sieversii, a wild species still growing in the mountain forests of Central Asia, particularly around Kazakhstan — the city of Almaty takes its name from the apple. Apples do not come true from seed: plant a pip from a favourite fruit and the seedling will be a genetic lottery, almost never resembling its parent. This is why virtually every named variety is a clone, propagated by grafting onto a rootstock, and why the rootstock rather than the variety determines the eventual size of the tree. Most varieties also need a compatible second tree nearby to set fruit.

Growing notes

  • Needs winter chill below 7 °C to set fruit reliably
  • Suffers in hot humid summers from fungal pressure

Categories

Related plants

Cross-check Apple (domestic) against your zones

Reference

Apple (domestic) on Wikipedia