Pommier 'Alkmène' (autofertile)

Our Variety Assessment

Its strengths, growing requirements and the conditions in which it performs best.

Alkmene is one of the best alternatives to Cox for European gardens. Its crisp, juicy and aromatic apples combine sweetness, acidity and gentle honeyed notes. The relatively compact tree crops regularly and has the unusual advantage of being self-fertile, although another compatible variety can improve yields. The fruit has excellent flavour but stores for only a few weeks.

Alkmene

Price range: 26,50 € through 59,75 €

Alkmene is a mid-season apple from Germany, related to to Cox but with a more robust flavour.

Choose your tree form

1 year old grafted tree – approx. 1–2 m

Half-standard – 1 to 1.5 m stem

Low-stem tree – approx. 60 cm stem

Standard tree – 1.8 m stem and over

Apple rootstock options

Bittenfelder – approx. 6 m mature height

EM9 – approx. 2.5 m mature height

M116 – approx. 4 m mature height

MM111 – approx. 4 m mature height

Clear

Tree size guide

Tree size guide: maiden, half-standard and standard fruit trees

Tree Establishment Guarantee — We support you if your tree fails to establish. View the conditions

SKU: 13326 Categories: Apple trees, Eating apple trees

Description

Alkmene was developed in Germany in the mid-1930s, and has a good quality aromatic flavor, very reminscent of its parent, Cox’s Orange Pippin.

It is quite widely grown in England and Europe, where it is regarded as a good alternative to Cox, being easier to grow and much more reliable.

Variety characteristics

Variety origin

German variety from Müncheberg, bred around 1930 at the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Institut, a Cox-type dessert apple.

Origin

Period of origin

USDA zone

Flowering

Harvest period

September 15-30

Eating / keeping period

Use

Fresh eating, Juice

Sweetness / acidity

Sweet and tangy

Disease resistance

Self-fertility

Pollinator value

Good pollinizer

Ploidy

Origin and identity

Parentage

Cox's Orange Pippin × Geheimrat Dr. Oldenburg

Synonyms

Early Windsor

Growth and adaptation

Vigour and habit

Medium vigour, rather upright to spreading habit, good and regular production, self-fertile

Disease behaviour

Scab

Low susceptibility / resistant

Powdery mildew

Low susceptibility / resistant

Canker

Can be susceptible in damp sites

Pollination

Compatible pollinating varieties

For reliable fruit set, plant at least one variety with a compatible flowering period nearby. Flowering period: 2 - early.

Pommier 'Pigeonnette'

Pigeonette View this variety

Pommier 'Transparente Blanche'

White Transparent View this variety Roberts Crab View this variety

Pommier 'Précoce de Wirwignes'

Precoce de Wirwignes View this variety Bardsey View this variety

Pommier 'Stark Earliest'

Stark’s Earliest View this variety

Harvest calendar

Extend your harvest season

Discover varieties from the same category harvested just before, at the same time or just after.

At the same time

September 15-30

Pommier 'Gaillarde'

Gaillarde View this variety

Pommier 'Transparente de Lesdain'

Lesdain Transparent View this variety

Pommier 'Reinette Descardre'

Reinette Descardre View this variety

Additional variety information for Alkmene is provided in partnership with Orange Pippin.

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