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Fruit EdibleTrees

Malus domestica 'Cap of Liberty' (Cider)

A vintage variety of British cider apple, originating from Somerset in the 14th Century, with a vigorous, spreading habit. Heavy crops of small to medium, rough-skinned, rounded pale yellow fruits striped with red are produced every other year and have an aromatic, complex and spicy flavour. May be susceptible to scab and canker and do not store well so are best left to gather sugars for just a week or two before pressing. Self-sterile

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Ultimate height

4–8 metres

Time to ultimate height

10–20 years

Ultimate spread

4–8 metres

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

pH

Acid, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Rosaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Columnar upright, Spreading branched
Genus: Malus are small to medium-sized deciduous trees with showy flowers in spring and ornamental or edible fruit in autumn; some have good autumn foliage colour
Name status: Unresolved

How to grow

Cultivation

Thrives in deep, fertile, moist but well-drained soil in a sunny, sheltered position. Will not thrive on very acid soils, shallow chalk soils or with shade for more than half the day. Tree height will depend on the rootstock and training method. May require fruit thinning to improve fruit size and quality. See apple cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by chip budding in late summer, or grafting in mid-winter. Plants grown from pips are unlikely to resemble the parent

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Edible fruit

Pruning

Prune according to chosen training method. See apple pruning

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids, including rosy apple aphid and woolly aphid, fruit tree red spider mite, codling moth and other caterpillars

Diseases

May be susceptible to apple canker, apple scab, blossom wilt, brown rot, fireblight, honey fungus and powdery mildews

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