Sunset

• Picking season: Late
• Country of origin: United Kingdom
• Self-fertility: Self-fertile
• Flowering group: 3
• List of other varieties that will pollinate Sunset

Sunset is a popular Cox-style apple, widely recommended as an alternative to Cox's Orange Pippin as it is much easier to grow. The parentage is not known but it is almost certainly a seedling of Cox. Disease resistance is far better, and cropping is good.

The flavor can vary quite a bit, but even in an average year it will be reliably sweet, and in a good year it has some of the aromatic qualities of Cox's Orange Pippin.

Sunset ripens in mid-September.

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Sunset 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)
  

  Out of stock
• 31-year maiden bare-root tree 33.45€
  M25 rootstock
  Full size size (4.5m-6m after 10 years)
  

  Out of stock

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How to grow

The main horticultural problem is that the apples tend to be quite small, but this is easily corrected by thinning the fruitlets thoroughly in May and early June.

Sunset can be grown reliably throughout much of the UK.

It is a neat and compact tree, and a good variety for growing in a patio container.

History

Introduced in 1918, unknown parentage but assumed to be a seedling of Cox's Orange Pippin.

Sunset characteristics

• Gardening skillBeginner
• Self-fertilitySelf-fertile
• Flowering group3
• Pollinating othersAverage
• PloidyDiploid
• Bearing regularityRegular
• Fruit bearingSpur-bearer
• Picking seasonLate
• CroppingHeavy
• Keeping2-3 weeks
• Useful forEating freshJuice
• Disease resistanceGood
• CankerSome resistance
• ScabSome susceptibility
• Climate typeTemperate climatesMild damp climates
• Summer average maximum temperaturesCool ( 20-24C / 68-75F)
• Country of originUnited Kingdom
• Period of origin1900 - 1949
• Flower colourWhite
• Fruit colourOrange flush
• AwardsRHS AGM (current) 1993RHS Plants for Pollinators