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Simple bare root fruit trees and ornamental trees

Greensleeves

Greensleeves apples
Greensleeves has received the RHS Award of Garden MeritGreensleeves is listed in the RHS Plants for Pollinators

Greensleeves is the result of an interesting experiment, crossing the crisp sweet flavours of Golden Delicious with the juicy acidity of the famous Scottish apple variety, James Grieve. The result is a mid-season apple that crops heavily and grows very easily.

The flavour is, as you might expect, simple and straightforward - basically sweet but quite a bit sharper than Golden Delicious. Even so, since Golden Delicious prefers a warmer climate than is found in much of the UK, Greensleeves can be considered as a reasonable substitute.

As with many varieties that have James Grieve in their parentage, Greensleeves is a notably juicy apple, and useful for juicing and cider.

Greensleeves apple trees for sale

  • RF11-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
  • RF22-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
  • RF31-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
  • RF42-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

Greensleeves is one of the easiest apple varieties to grow, and is partially self-fertile, and this probably accounts for its steady popularity amongst gardeners.

Greensleeves is also a very good pollinator for other apple varieties because its blossom is unusually long-lasting (a quality it inherits from both Golden Delicious and James Grieve, which are both good pollinators).


Recommended pollinators for Greensleeves apple trees

Greensleeves is partially self-fertile, so you do not need another variety to pollinate it to produce fruit. However you will get a better crop if you plant any of the following pollinator varieties nearby. If you are not sure about pollination requirements don't hesitate to ask us.

  • Pollinator Bardsey
    Bardsey
    A hardy disease-resistant apple, discovered growing on an island off the west coast of Wales.
  • Pollinator Bountiful
    Bountiful
    Bountiful is an easy-to-grow cooking apple, it retains its shape when cooked, fairly sweet for a cooker.
  • Pollinator Egremont Russet
    Egremont Russet
    Egremont Russet is the most popular English russet variety, and a good apple tree for the garden.
  • Pollinator Keswick Codlin
    Keswick Codlin
    Keswick Codlin is a popular early-season cooking apple, easy to grow, and productive in most climates.
  • Red Sentinel
    Malus Red Sentinel has classic white blossom and a profusion of tiny scarlet persistent fruits.
  • Pollinator Red Windsor
    Red Windsor
    Red Windsor is one of the easiest to grow of all dessert apple trees, and with a pleasant apple flavour.
  • Pollinator Stirling Castle
    Stirling Castle
    A traditional Scottish cooker from the Victorian era, with a good sharp flavour.

History

A cross between Golden Delicious and James Grieve, developed at the famous East Malling Research Station in Kent, UK, in the 1960s.


Greensleeves characteristics

  • Gardening skillBeginner
  • Fruit persistenceNormal ripening
  • Self-fertile?Partially self-fertile
  • Pollinating othersAverage
  • Pick seasonMid
  • Picking periodmid-September
  • Keeping1 week
  • Food usesEating freshJuice
  • Country of originUnited Kingdom
  • Period of origin1950 - 1999
  • Fruit colourGreen

You might also like these varieties

  • See also Limelight
    Limelight
    Limelight is an attractive green mid-season dessert apple, ideal for beginners.
  • See also Lord Lambourne
    Lord Lambourne
    Lord Lambourne is a popular versatile garden apple variety, with a good balance of sweet and sharp flavours.
  • See also Winter Gem
    Winter Gem
    Winter Gem is a late-season apple variety with a very good aromatic flavour.

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.


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