Which apple variety to choose?

Hi all

My mother has requested for her birthday a Pink Lady apple tree. Further research has enlightened me to the fact that this is in fact a branded apple of the Cripps' Pink variety, a tree which is unlikely to be able to thrive in our climate.

Could anyone suggest a close alternative (or close-ish) variety which is able to grow in our climate? (the UK). I am happy to go a bit out of my way to obtain such a tree (probably a young-ish one easily transportable, i'm a bit of a novice when it comes to tree ages/sizes etc!) so it need not be one sold by every and any garden centre.

Thank for any help!

 

We live in Moray, Scotland. We bought a maiden Pink Lady (Cripps Pink), it is thriving but it may not set fruit or allow the fruit to ripen as they require a very long growing season and a warm climate for the fruit to ripen properly. Our tree is growing perfectly well after minimum temperatures of -14 in the winter. Whether we will get any fruit in the long term, we'll have to wait and see.

We bought our tree, along with many others on line. However, the site we bought them from no longer lists them!

As you've already stated Pink Lady is a 'trademark standard' for the Cripps Pink Apple, in order to be called a Pink Lady it has to meet certain physical criteria. It is essentially just a marketing ploy for an apple that has been around for sometime. I agree that it is a very nice tasting apple and you can buy the apples in a number of supermarkets as cripps pink avoiding paying the price premium for the pink lady brand.

If I were you, if you can track one down, I would certainly buy one and give it a go as it will make an attractive tree even if it doesn't produce edible fruit.

Good luck.

 

Depending on where you live you may get fruit as on the isle of Wight I know of at least one cripps pink apple tree which manages to set ripe fruit, although this is because we get much earlier/stronger solar light than most in the uk

 

Thanks for the help

I will try and source a Cripps Pink tree. If it will at least grow here then it's worth a try to see if it sets fruit. It will be planted/grown in South Wales btw.

I will also try and find something similar to a Cripps Pink. Does anyone have any suggestions of native varieties which are somewhat/vaguely similar?