January 2021 - CLOSEDWe are no longer allowed to send trees to the EU. More>
EU flagOrange Pippin EU logo

Red Windsor

If you are new to growing apple trees, Red Windsor is one of the easiest and most reliable of all apple varieties. It is self-fertile, so there is no need to worry about pollination partners. It grows naturally in a neat and tidy fashion, and crops heavily. The apples can be picked over several weeks so you don't have to deal with a glut. It seems untroubled by the usual diseases of apples, and the blossom also has some resistance to frost. Finally, and perhaps most important of all, it has a good robust apple flavor with some aromatic qualities.

Red Windsor is a red sport (natural mutation) of a German variety called Alkmene, derived from Cox's Orange Pippin - hence the good flavor. It has a noticeably redder and less Cox-like appearance than Alkmene, although the characteristic Cox flushed striping can usually be discerned.

Red Windsor is grown commercially on a small-scale in the UK, and sometimes marketed as Sweet Lilibet.

StarStarStarStarStar empty See or add reviews

Red Windsor apple trees for sale

  • 11-year maiden bare-root tree 33.45€
    M26 rootstock
    Medium size (2.5m-3m after 10 years)
    Out of stock
  • 21-year maiden bare-root tree 33.45€
    MM106 rootstock
    Large size (3m-4m after 10 years)
Next deliveries

Deliveries now finished

How to grow

Red Windsor is a great mid-season apple variety for the UK garden. It is easy to grow and crops heavily. As mentioned above, it is self-fertile, a rare feature in apple varieties.

Red Windsor is reasonably disease-resistant and the blossom also has some resistance to late frosts. The tree grows in a compact style, so it is a good choice if you are short of space.

Being a mid-season variety, Red Windsor is also a good choice for difficult situations where light is limited, or where the summer growing season is short.

History

Developed in Herefordshire in the 1980s as a red sport of Alkmene. Its parentage is Cox's Orange Pippin and Duchess of Oldenburg.

Red Windsor characteristics

  • Gardening skillBeginner
  • Self-fertilitySelf-fertile
  • Flowering group2
  • Pollinating othersAverage
  • PloidyDiploid
  • Bearing regularityRegular
  • Fruit bearingSpur-bearer
  • Picking seasonMid Early September
  • CroppingHeavy
  • Keeping1 week
  • Useful forEating fresh
  • Disease resistanceGood
  • ScabVery resistant
  • Climate typeTemperate climatesMild damp climates
  • Summer average maximum temperaturesCool ( 20-24C / 68-75F)Cold (< 20C / 67F)
  • Country of originUnited Kingdom
  • Period of origin1950 - 1999
  • Flower colourWhite
  • Fruit colourRed
  • AwardsRHS AGM (current) 2019