PARENTAGE OF BRAEBURN
One of the parents is thought to be Lady Hamilton, the other is often believed to be Granny Smith but that is rumour with no tangible evidence.
APPEARANCE, TASTE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF BRAEBURN
Braeburn apples are just how you imagine a tasty apple should be. Half green and half reddish. Not quite a round shape but not far off.
Braeburn apples
When grown in the warmest parts of the UK, and only in reasonable years at that, the taste is definitely sweet with good background acidity and a slightly spicy taste. The flesh is crisp, white, crunchy and juicy.
The trees grow well and the crop of apples, where it does have time to mature, is high.
This is an easy tree to prune because it produces large amounts of fruiting spurs without any special techniques at all. Follow the normal pruning procedures. Disease resistance is good with no particular weak areas at all when grown in the UK.
Overall tree size is of course primarily dependent on the rootstock but also on the growing conditions. On average the following tree sizes by rootstock are for a fully grown tree after 7 years:
- M9 rootstock – pruned height 1.8m / 6ft, unpruned height 2.5m / 8ft
- M26 rootstock – pruned height 2.2m / 7ft 6in, unpruned height 3m / 9ft 6in
- MM106 – pruned 3m / 9ft 6in unpruned height 4m / 13ft
BUYING A BAEBURN APPLE TREE
This apple tree variety is available from online fruit specialists and is rarely available from garden centres because of the likelihood that the apples will not mature fully in the UK
SUMMARY CHARACTERISTICS OF BRAEBURN
USE: Eating and cooking
SKIN COLOUR / TEXTURE: Attractive mix of red and green
FLESH COLOUR: White
TASTE AND TEXTURE: Sweet and very crunchy when fresh
FRUIT SIZE: Medium
STORAGE: Three months or more
SUITABILITY FOR CORDONSPALIER GROWTH: Yes
TREE SIZE: Average
REGULARITY OF CROPPING: Very regular and a good quantities
POLLINATION: Group 4, self-fertile
AWARDS: None
SSPECIAL FEATURES: Attractive and good tasting apples. Only suitable for warmer parts of the UK and even then may not mature unless the weather is favourable. Matures in November
BRAEBRUN APPLE TREE POLLINATION
We list below varieties which are suitable pollination partners for Braeburn which is in pollination group 4 and self-fertile.
- Arthur Turner – pollination group 3, self-sterile, cooker
- Bountiful – pollination group 3, self-sterile, cooker
- Charles Ross – pollination group 3, partially self-fertile, cooker and eater
- Court of Wick – pollination group 3, self-sterile, eater and cooker
- Discovery – pollination group 3, self-sterile, eating and cider
- Dumelow’s Seedling – pollination group 4, self-sterile, cooker
- Ellison’s Orange – pollination group 4, partially self-fertile, eater
- Emneth Early – pollination group 3, partially self-fertile, cooker
- Epicure – pollination group 3, self-fertile, eater
- Falstaff – pollination group 3, self-fertile, eater
- Fiesta – pollination group 3, partially self-fertile, eater
- Gala – pollination group 4, partially self-fertile, eater
- Granny Smith – pollination group 3, self-fertile, eater and cooker
- Grenadier – pollination group 3, partially self-fertile, cooker
- Honeycrisp – pollination group 4, self-sterile, eater
- Howgate Wonder – pollination group 3, partially self-fertile, cooker and eater
- James Grieve – pollination group 3, partially self-fertile, cooker and eater
- Katy – pollination group 3, self-sterile, both
- King of The Pippins – pollination group 4, partially self-fertile, eater and cooker
- Lanes Prince Albert – pollination group 4, self-sterile, cooking
- Laxtons Fortune – pollination group 3, partially self-fertile, eater
- Laxtons Superb – pollination group 4, partially self-fertile, eater
- Lord Derby – pollination group 4, self-sterile, cooker
- Merton Beauty – pollination group 5, self-sterile, eater
- Newton Wonder – pollination group 4, partially self-fertile, cooker
- Peasgoods Nonsuch – pollination group 3, partially self-fertile, cooker
- Rajka – pollination group 4, self-sterile, eater
- Red Falstaff – pollination group 3, partially self-fertile, eater
- Scrumptious – pollination group 3, self-fertile, eater
- Sops in Wine – pollination group 3, self-sterile, juicer
- Spartan – pollination group 3, self-fertile, eater
- Sunset – pollination group 3, self-fertile, eater
- Tydemans Late Orange – pollination group 4, self-sterile, eater
- Waltz – pollination group 3, self-sterile, eater
- Winston – pollination group 4, self-fertile, eater
- Worcester Pearmain – pollination group 3, partially self-fertile, eater
Braeburn apple tree blossom
The full list of apple tree varieties which we have reviewed is listed below. Select any one of them and then click the “More Information” button to be taken to the in depth review:
Rootstocks and Size
Guide to Planting
Care Plan
Pruning Apple Trees
Harvest and Storage
Pests and Disease
Pollination Groups
BRAEBURN APPLE TREE INFORMATION
Braeburn are one of the most commonly sold apple tree varieties in the UK but don’t let that put you off. They are probably the most perfect variety to grow, commercially and privately, with only two exceptions.
Firstly, they only ripen in the warmest parts of the UK (see this article), a long growing season is essential and this is not available in most of the UK. Secondly, when sold commercially in the UK, quality is variable depending to a large degree on where they were grown.