Braeburn Apple Trees

• Variety: Braeburn, the crisp, sweet and sharp supermarket favourite
• Latin name: Malus domestica 'Braeburn'
• Use: Eating
• Sold as: Bareroot maiden, bush and half-standard
• Rootstock: MM106
• Mature size: Bush kept at about 3m, half-standard about 4m. About 4.5m if left unpruned
• Pollination: Group D. Needs a partner from group C or D
• Picking: Early October
• Keeps: To mid-winter, improving in store
• Bearing: Spur bearer, suitable for cordons and espaliers. Average vigour, spreading
• Position: Full sun and shelter. Best in the South: it wants a hot summer
• Soil: Deep, fertile, moist but well-drained. Not very acid soil or shallow chalk
• Hardiness: H6, hardy through the British winter
• Delivered: Bareroot, November to April. Collection from Castle Cary also available
• Wildlife: RHS Plants for Pollinators

Braeburn is the crisp, juicy eating Apple with a sweet and sharp balance, picked in early October and at its best after a spell in store. It wants a hot summer, so plant it in full sun and shelter in the South, with a pollination partner from group C or D.

Braeburn Apple Trees

Braeburn apple trees produce a mid to late season eating apple. This well known variety has lovely bright red and yellow colouring, a superbly crisp, juicy crunch and an excellent sweet and sharp balance of powerful, fruity flavour.

They're common in supermarkets; they travel well and are at their best after a period of ripening off the tree, ideal for large scale imports. They also need plenty of warmth and sun, which makes them unpopular with British commercial growers in most parts of the country, despite being low maintenance and heavy croppers. That said, they have increased in popularity in Kentish orchards, where they perform well on warm South facing slopes.

To avoid a disappointing flavour, we really recommend this tree for sheltered sites with full sun in Southern areas.

Browse our other apple varieties, or all our fruit trees.
Read our guide to buying apples.

Delivery season: Bareroot plants are delivered from late autumn to spring, November to April.

Growing Braeburn Apples

Apples like rich, well drained soil, and will thrive on clay in locations that do not get waterlogged in winter.
A full day of sun and shelter from the wind is ideal.

Rootstocks:
We use MM106 for Braeburn, the UK standard for medium-sized trees, ideal for gardeners. It gives a half-standard about 4m tall, and a bush about 3m.
MM106 maidens are suitable for cordons and espaliers.

Disease notes:
Disease susceptibility: Scab, Mildew, Fireblight, Bitter Pit.

Pollination Partners for Braeburn

Your trees need a pollination partner to crop well.
Braeburn is in Pollination Group D, which cross-pollinates with other apple trees in Groups C and D.

Use our Fruit Pollination Checker to quickly find pollination partners, or Apple Pollination Guide to learn more.

Planting Companions

Braeburn flowers in group D, and it needs a partner. Gala, Golden Delicious, Ellison's Orange and Chivers Delight are all in group D, and any Apple in group C will do as well. Check a pairing with our Fruit Pollination Checker. Dust bareroot roots with Rootgrow as you plant.

Why Buy Your Apple Tree from Ashridge?

Ashridge has sold trees since 1949 and is a Which? Best Plant Supplier 2025. Your Braeburn 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 Braeburn need a pollination partner?

Yes. Plant it with another Apple that flowers in group C or D, such as Gala, Golden Delicious or Ellison's Orange. A partner in a neighbour's garden counts.

Will Braeburn ripen in the UK?

In a warm place, yes. It wants a hot summer, so it suits sheltered gardens in full sun in the South. In a cold or wet garden, choose a different Apple.

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.

When do you pick Braeburn, and how long does it keep?

Pick in early October. The Apples are at their best after ripening off the tree, and they keep in a cool place to mid-winter.

Do you sell Braeburn 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.