Ellison's Orange Apple is an English heirloom born around 1904 in Lincolnshire from a cross between Cox's Orange Pippin and Calville Blanc, two legendary dessert apples. This medium to large tree thrives in zones 4 through 9 and grows 8 to 12 feet tall, making it manageable for home orchards. Its distinctive soft orange skin with unusual red striping hints at the aromatic, crisp flesh inside, and organic growers have cherished it for over a century because it resists scab disease while producing heavy crops of exceptional flavor.
Full Sun
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4-9
144in H x ?in W
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High
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Organic growers across England still rely on Ellison's Orange for its combination of stunning flavor, reliable heavy crops, and natural scab resistance, a rarity that has kept this variety relevant for more than a hundred years. The crisp, juicy flesh carries a distinctive anise-like character balanced by sweetness and tartness, making it equally at home fresh from the tree or in the kitchen. Its striking appearance, with soft orange background and bold red striping, adds visual appeal to the orchard or fruit bowl.
This apple excels fresh off the tree, where its crisp texture and complex anise-tinged flavor shine brightest. Its balanced sweet-tart profile and aromatic character also make it excellent for cooking and baking, where its flavor complexity adds depth to pies, ciders, and preserves.
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Plant bare-root trees in early spring or fall when the tree is dormant. Dig a hole wide enough to accommodate the root system without crowding, position the graft union a few inches above soil level, and backfill with unamended native soil. Space trees at least 15 to 20 feet apart to allow for mature canopy spread and air circulation, which supports disease resistance.
Ellison's Orange typically flowers in September, though harvest timing depends on your specific climate within zones 4 through 9. Pick apples when they develop full orange background color with red striping and yield slightly to gentle pressure. For storage, harvest just before full ripeness to extend keeping ability.
Prune in late winter or early spring while the tree is dormant, removing crossing branches, dead wood, and interior growth to maximize air circulation. Open up the canopy's center to allow light and air to reach the fruit, which supports both ripening and disease prevention. Moderate pruning encourages consistent structure; avoid heavy pruning that stimulates excessive vegetative growth at the expense of fruit production.
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“Ellison's Orange emerged in Lincolnshire, England around 1904 when a breeder crossed two celebrated dessert apples: Cox's Orange Pippin, prized for its complex flavor, and Calville Blanc, a French heirloom known for quality and keeping ability. The result captured the best of both parents and quickly found favor among English organic growers who valued its disease resistance and productivity. Across more than a century, it has remained a cornerstone variety for gardeners committed to growing without synthetic fungicides, proving that scab resistance and exceptional flavor are not mutually exclusive.”