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Hardy Perennial
FROM £29.99
An ancient variety recently rediscovered
Unusual and decorative star-shaped fruit
Fruits store for a long time
Height Up to 2.5m (8.2ft)
Spread Up to 2.5m (8.2ft)
Hardy Perennial
kitchen gardencottage gardenswildlife gardens
full sun
Apple 'Apistar is an ancient variety bearing fruits with a spectacular shape, wonderful flavour and fascinating history.
First recorded in the 16th century, but almost certainly dating back to Roman times, this rare variety was thought to have been lost. Recently rediscovered and given the modern name ‘Apistar’, it was christened ‘Pomum Pentagonum’ by the monastic communities of Europe, who attached religious meaning to its distinctive star pentagon shape, representing the five wounds of Christ. In Victorian England, the apple became popular as a Christmas table decoration.
Apple ‘Apistar’ forms a vigorous, fertile tree with a slightly weeping habit. A late-picking variety, it is ready to harvest from November to December, the fruits remaining relatively undamaged when left on the tree during the early winter months.
The decorative, star-shaped fruits ripen to green with an attractive red/orange blush on the sun side. To obtain the best colour, we recommend shoot thinning in early September to allow full exposure to the sun. When sliced, a five-pointed star formed by the five ovaries is revealed. The flesh is white, crunchy and juicy with a sweet tangy flavour. Thick, waxy skin protects the pulp from moisture, making ‘Apistar’ an exceptionally long keeper that will store until May.
Apple ‘Apistar’ is late flowering and usually misses the early damaging frosts, promising good crops nearly every year. The fruits exhibit good disease resistance and tend to be free of both scab and powdery mildew. These Apistar trees have been grafted onto an M111 which combines dwarf growth and high vigour. It produces a small tree with a strong root system that tolerates poorer soils.
Use: Dessert and culinary
Pollination Group : 3
Harvest: November to December
Rootstock: M111. Dwarf rootstock. Ultimate height and spread: 2.5m (8.2ft).
Estimated time to cropping once planted: 2 years.
Estimated time to best yields: 4 years.
Useful links:
Show Codes
1 Bare Root Tree (M111 Rootstock) (KH0273)
2 Bare Root Trees (M111 Rootstock) (KH0274)
Fruit trees do not suffer weed competition well. Keep weeds and grass clear from within a 30cm radius of base of the tree. In spring, while the ground is moist, apply a mulch of well rotted manure or garden compost around the base of the tree, taking care not to mound it up against the stem. This will help to retain moisture throughout the summer. Feed and water apple trees during particularly dry periods.
Pruning fruit trees begins immediately after planting. Remove the central stem to just above the highest side branch. For the following 3 years, prune only the tips of the remaining main branches by one third in winter. Aim for about six main branches which will form the frame of your tree, with fruiting sub branches growing off of them. From the fourth year, some sub branches can be pruned out at the union where they join the main branch, to allow new sub branches to take their place.
In order to produce the best quality, largest fruits, the fruits should be thinned leaving two fruits remaining per cluster.
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