Malus domestica 'Christmas Pearmain' (D)

RHS Plant Profile
apple 'Christmas Pearmain'
Plants for pollinators
Fruit Edible

A dessert apple bearing small to medium-sized, yellowish fruit flushed orange to brownish-red with darker stripes. The yellowish flesh is aromatic with a sweet-sharpish flavour and apples will store for up to 12 weeks. Note this cultivar has a tendency to biennial bearing

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

4-8 metres

Max Spread

4-8 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
10–20 years
Max Spread
4-8 metres
Max Height
4-8 metres

Growing Conditions

Clay Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H6

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Rosaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
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
Accepted
Horticultural Group
Dessert apples are sweet and juicy and are best eaten fresh and raw

How to Grow

Cultivation

Prefers deep, fertile, moist but well-drained, neutral 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. 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

  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Wildlife gardens
  • 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, apple sawfly, fruit tree red spider mite, codling moth, apple leaf-mining moth and other caterpillars