Grenadier Cooking Apple Trees

Malus domestica Grenadier

As its name suggests the Grenadier Apple is militarily punctual - being one of the first cooking apples to ripen. The fruits are large, irregularly shaped, bright green and you will get lots of them. The taste is tart and slightly acidic. The flesh is white and cooks down to a wonderful creamy, puree that works brilliantly in puddings or for apple sauce with your roast pork. The tree is not too vigorous and has an upright habit making it good for smaller gardens. Another huge advantage of the Grenadier is that it will fight off almost all apple diseases - canker, scab, and mildew - and thus is suitable for wet and damp conditions where many apples may turn up their toes. The early blossom is frost resistant so you are almost guaranteed reliable crops every year. Or just have a look at the full list of apple trees to choose another which might suit you better.

On the parade ground

The Grenadier is no slouch in the pollinating department and will produce fruit without other trees nearby but to ensure the sort of crop of which it is capable it is worth finding another complementary apple to grow with it. Use our online pollination tool to find suitable partners. While you do, remember that apple trees are not all about culinary output. Use them for a shady picnic spot in the summer or plant so that you can see the blossom from your kitchen window and underplant with spring bulbs to make it a favourite feature all year round. Smaller clematis look fantastic threaded through the boughs of any apple tree and at the end of the season just need cutting down ready for next year.

Features

• Height: to 4.5 m
• Use: Cooking/juicing
• Pruning: Spur bearer
• Pollination: Partially Self Fertile
• Picking: Aug-Sept
• Apple colour: Green maturing to yellow
• Pollination: Group C
• Storage: 1 week

Grenadier Gossip

No one knows where the Grenadier apple came from originally but it was first recorded in 1862 and was exhibited in 1863 by the nurseryman Charles Turner of Slough. The RHS first gave it a First Class Certificate in 1883 and it was awarded the AGM in 1993. Promoted by the nurseryman George Bunyard of Maidstone it became more and more popular until it was the most widely grown early cooking apple in the UK.