Sunset
Sunset is a popular Cox-style apple, which we recommend as one of the best alternatives to Cox's Orange Pippin as it is much easier to grow. The parentage is not known but it is almost certainly a seedling of Cox. Disease resistance is far better, cropping is good and reliable, and it is self-fertile.
The flavour is balanced and sweet, with many of the aromatic qualities of Cox's Orange Pippin. Sunset also has the attractive orange-flush so characteristic of Cox and other traditional English apples.
Sunset ripens in mid-September.
Sunset apple trees for sale
RF11-year bare-root
tree
on M9 rootstock£38.25
Mature height: 1.5m-2.5m after 10 years
Suitable for a dwarf apple tree, a small apple spindlebush, a small apple fan or espalier, a small apple cordon or U-cordon. Will require permanent support.
Available next season
RF22-year bare-root
tree
on M9 rootstock£43.00
Mature height: 1.5m-2.5m after 10 years
Suitable for growing a small bush-trained dwarf apple tree, will need a permanent stake.
Available next season
RF31-year bare-root
tree
on M26 rootstock£34.95
Mature height: 2m-3.5m after 10 years
Suitable for a semi-dwarf apple tree, a medium apple spindlebush, a medium apple fan or espalier, a large apple cordon or U-cordon.
Available next season
RF42-year bare-root
tree
on M26 rootstock£43.00
Mature height: 2m-3.5m after 10 years
Suitable for a medium bush-trained semi-dwarf apple tree.
Available next season
RF51-year bare-root
tree
on MM106 rootstock£34.95
Mature height: 3m-5m after 10 years
Can be trained on as a large free-standing apple tree, a half-standard apple tree, a large apple fan or espalier, or a pleached apple tree.
Available next season
RF62-year bare-root
tree
on MM106 rootstock£43.00
Mature height: 3m-5m after 10 years
Suitable for a large bush-trained free-standing apple tree.
Available next season
Growing and Training
The main horticultural problem with Sunset is that the apples tend to be quite small, but this is easily corrected by thinning the fruitlets thoroughly in May and early June.
Sunset can be grown reliably throughout much of the UK. It is one of the most disease-resistant of Cox-style varieties.
It is a neat and compact tree, and a good variety for growing in a patio container.
History
Introduced in 1918, unknown parentage but assumed to be a seedling of Cox's Orange Pippin.
Sunset characteristics
- Gardening skillBeginner
- Fruit persistenceNormal ripening
- Self-fertile?Self-fertile
- Pollinating othersAverage
- Pick seasonLate
- Picking periodlate September
- Keeping2-3 weeks
- Food usesEating freshJuice
- Country of originUnited Kingdom
- Period of origin1900 - 1949
- Fruit colourOrange flush
You might also like these varieties
Christmas PippinChristmas Pippin is a new high-yielding Cox-style apple, discovered as a chance seedling tree.
Ellison's OrangeEllison's Orange is a well respected Cox-style apple which can achieve very good flavour.
Kidd's Orange RedKidd's Orange Red is one of the best Cox-style apples, aromatic, sweet, and easy to grow.
Red FalstaffRed Falstaff is one of the best garden apple trees, heavy crops, easy to grow, and very juicy.
More about apple trees
Apples are very versatile, and all varieties can be eaten or used in the kitchen. However varieties specifically grown as eating apples tend to have the best flavours for eating raw.
The main thing to decide when choosing an eating apple is when you intend to eat the apples. Early season apples are typically ready in August, and generally don't keep very long. Mid-season apples are ripe in early September, while late-season apples start to become ripe in late September and October. Many of the late-season varieties can also be stored in a fridge or cold shed for several months into the winter.
Some apple varieties are self-fertile, but most are not. However in most areas of the UK you do not need to worry whether your apple trees are self-fertile or not, as there will be other apple trees in nearby gardens to help with pollination.
