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Malus domestica 'Golden Delicious'

Image of Malus domestica 'Golden Delicious'

Jessie Keith

Family

Rosaceae

Botanical Name

Malus domestica 'Golden Delicious'

Plant Common Name

Apple, Golden Delicious Apple, Yellow Eating Apple

General Description

Golden delicious is an old time favorite eating apple, discovered as a chance seedling in West Virginia in 1914. This tree has a rounded to oval canopy and, like all domestic apples, originates from southwestern Asia.

In spring, it offers sweet, fragrant flowers of white and in fall produces crisp, sweet, juicy apples of golden yellow. These are harvested in mid-fall and store very well.

This tree prefers full sun and well-drained soil but will tolerate light shade and bouts of drought. For best fruit production, they must be vigorously pruned and maintained. Golden delicious has a long bloom time and produces large amounts of pollen, so it’s a good pollinator for other apple varieties. For gardeners with limited space, it is available grafted on size-limiting rootstocks.

Characteristics

  • AHS Heat Zone

    9 - 1

  • USDA Hardiness Zone

    5 - 8

  • Sunset Zone

    1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24

  • Plant Type

    Fruit

  • Sun Exposure

    Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial Shade

  • Height

    0'-15' / 0.0m - 4.6m

  • Width

    0'-15' / 0.0m - 4.6m

  • Bloom Time

    Early Spring, Spring

  • Native To

    Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, Russia/Siberia, Southern Asia, Western Asia

Growing Conditions

  • Soil pH

    Acidic, Neutral

  • Soil Drainage

    Well Drained

  • Soil type

    Clay, Loam

  • Tolerances

    Drought

  • Growth Rate

    Medium

  • Water Requirements

    Average Water

  • Habit

    Oval/Rounded

  • Seasonal Interest

    Spring, Fall

Ornamental Features

  • Flower Interest

    Showy

  • Flower Color

    White

  • Fruit Color

    Gold

  • Foliage Color (Spring)

    Green

  • Foliage Color (Summer)

    Green

  • Foliage Color (Fall)

    Green

  • Bark Color

    Brown, Gray

  • Fragrant Flowers

    Yes

  • Fragrant Fruit

    No

  • Fragrant Foliage

    No

  • Bark or Stem Fragrant

    No

  • Flower Petal Number

    Single

  • Repeat Bloomer

    No

  • Showy Fruit

    Yes

  • Edible Fruit

    Yes

  • Showy Foliage

    No

  • Foliage Texture

    Medium

  • Foliage Sheen

    Matte

  • Evergreen

    No

  • Showy Bark

    No

Special Characteristics

  • Bark Texture

    Fissured

  • Usage

    Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Topiary / Bonsai / Espalier

  • Sharp or Has Thorns

    No

  • Invasive

    No

  • Self-Sowing

    Yes