Black Dabinett Cider Apple Trees

• Variety: Black Dabinett, the vintage bittersweet cider Apple
• Latin name: Malus domestica 'Black Dabinett'
• Sold as: Bareroot maiden
• Rootstock: MM106
• Mature size: A bush is kept at about 3m, a half-standard at about 4m. 4.5m by 4.5m if left unpruned
• Use: Cider. Vintage quality: high tannin, high sugar, a balanced cider from this Apple alone
• Fruit: Medium to large, dark purple-red flush over green. Bittersweet
• Harvest: Late autumn, into November
• Pollination: Group D. Not self-fertile: it must have a partner
• Bearing: Spur bearer, so it takes cordons and training on wires
• Wildlife: RHS Plants for Pollinators
• Hardiness: H6, hardy through the British winter
• Delivered: Bareroot, November to April. Collection from Castle Cary also available

Black Dabinett is a vintage cider Apple: high in tannin and high in sugar, which is what lets it make a balanced, full-bodied cider on its own, with no blending. The fruit is dark purple over green, larger than most cider Apples, and it hangs into November on a regular, heavy-cropping tree.

Black Dabinett Cider Apple Trees

Black Dabinett apple trees produce a mid to late season, vintage quality cider apple. The fruit's larger than your average cider apple, and they're a real sight in late-October and into November against nearly leafless wood. They have wonderful, deep but shiny purple skin sometimes touched with green. The tree itself is fairly vigorous and is a regular heavy cropper. The Dabinetts are a mainstay of cider farmers, with a mellow bittersweet flavour of vintage quality, meaning that it can be used to make full-bodied cider without needing to be mixed with other apples.
The apples ripen during November.
All of our Black Dabinett trees are grown on MM106 rootstocks.

If you have room for only one cider Apple, this is the one to choose: it makes a full-bodied cider on its own, though it still needs another Apple nearby to pollinate it.

Browse all of our other apple tree varieties.

Pollination Partners for Black Dabinett:

Your trees are in pollination Group D and are not self-fertile, so they need another Apple from Group C, D or E flowering nearby.

See our Guide to Apple Tree Pollination for a full list of partners & more tips about pollination.

Have a look at our quick guide if you are new to brewing cider at home.

Disease notes:
Disease resistance: Scab, Brown Rot.

History & Parentage:
It hails from Kingsbury Episcopi in Somerset. The original Dabinett tree was found by chance, growing in a hedge, at the start of the 20th century by William Dabinett; this variety is superior in size and flavour. The trees are known locally as Tommy Rodfords.

Planting Companions

It is in group D and it needs a partner, so plant another cider Apple that flowers with it: Michelin and Yarlington Mill are both group D, and Kingston Black is another we sell. Our Apple pollination charts list the rest. Dust bareroot roots with Rootgrow as you plant.

Why Buy Your Cider Apple Tree from Ashridge?

Ashridge has sold trees since 1949 and is a Which? Best Plant Supplier 2025. Your Black Dabinett cider Apple tree is grafted onto MM106 rootstock, and maidens are pre-pruned before despatch for the form you choose. Bareroot trees are lifted to order while dormant and guaranteed for 12 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Black Dabinett need a pollination partner?

Yes. It sets no fruit alone. Plant an Apple from group C, D or E near it: Michelin and Yarlington Mill are both group D.

Can you make cider from this one variety alone?

Yes, and that is the point of it. High tannin and high sugar together give a balanced, full-bodied cider with nothing else blended in.

When do you pick it?

Late autumn, into November. The Apples hang on the tree after the leaves have gone, which is a sight in itself.

How long can you keep the Apples before pressing?

Not long. Press them as soon as you can after picking.

How big does the tree grow?

On MM106, a pruned bush is kept at about 3 metres and a half-standard at about 4 metres. Left unpruned, the rootstock gives a tree about 4.5 metres tall and wide.

What does bittersweet mean?

It is the cider maker's word for an Apple high in tannin and low in acid. Tannin is what gives cider its body.

Do you sell Black Dabinett as a cordon or espalier?

You buy a maiden and make the shape yourself, which is how a cordon is made. Tell us the form you want and we pre-prune the maiden before despatch. MM106 suits cordons, fans and espaliers.

When are the trees delivered?

Bareroot only, from November to April, while the trees are dormant. You can order at any time of year and your tree is lifted and sent once the season opens.