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Cox's Orange Pippin apple trees

Malus domestica
Cox's Orange Pippin apples
Cox's Orange Pippin is listed in the RHS Plants for Pollinators
  • Picking season: Mid Later mid-season
  • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Flowering group: 3

Often regarded as the finest of all apples, Cox's Orange Pippin sets the benchmark for flavour to which all others aspire. The aromatic complexity and depth of flavours are remarkable. In our personal experience pear, melon, freshly-squeezed orange juice, and mango are all readily evident in a good example.

Cox's Orange Pippin is a mid/late season variety, at its best if picked when fully ripe, or picked slightly under-ripe and left in storage for a month or so - it is not a long-keeper though.

Although primarily considered a variety for eating fresh, Cox is an excellent apple for juice / cider blends as well. It is also a versatile culinary apple, with an inherently sweet flavour when baked, and is a common ingredient in English apple preserves, chutneys, and mincemeat.

Bio / Organic  fruit trees

Cox's Orange Pippin organic apple trees for sale

  • 11 yeartree on M9 rootstock26.50€
    Small tree (1.5m-2.5m after 10 years) Bare-root
  • 21 yeartree on M116 rootstock27.75€
    Medium tree (2m-3.5m after 10 years) Bare-root
  • 31 yeartree on MM111 rootstock26.50€
    Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years) Bare-root
  • 41 yeartree on Bittenfelder rootstock26.50€
    Very large tree (5m-6m+ after 10 years) Bare-root
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Growing and Training

Cox's Orange Pippin performs best in areas with low rainfall and cool temperate climates - such as the south-east of England, where summer temperatures are typically around 25C and rarely exceed 30C. The characteristic complex flavours tend to collapse if grown in areas with hot summer temperatures.


History

Cox's Orange Pippin was raised by Richard Cox, in Buckinghamshire, England, in the early 19th century, and appears to be a seedling of an old French variety called Margil.


Cox's Orange Pippin characteristics

  • Attractive featuresAttractive flowersAttractive fruit
  • What level of gardening skill is needed to grow Cox's Orange Pippin?Experienced
  • Is Cox's Orange Pippin self-fertile?Not self-fertile
  • What flowering group is Cox's Orange Pippin?3
  • What is the overall disease resistance of Cox's Orange Pippin?Poor
  • Picking periodmid-September
  • What season do you pick Cox's Orange Pippin?Mid - Later mid-season
  • How long can you keep Cox's Orange Pippin in a fridge?1-2 months
  • Food usesEating freshCulinaryJuice
  • USDA cold hardyZone 5 (-29C)
  • Summer average maximum temperaturesCool ( 20-24C / 68-75F)
  • Chill requirementHigh-chill
  • Where does Cox's Orange Pippin originate from?United Kingdom
  • When was Cox's Orange Pippin first introduced?1800 - 1849
  • What colour is the blossom of Cox's Orange Pippin?White
  • Flesh colourWhite
  • Fruit colourOrange flush

You might also like these varieties

  • See also Akane
    Akane
    Akane is an attractive early-season eating apple with a good pedigree and a sweet/sharp flavour.
  • See also Cabarette
    Cabarette
    A traditional very-late season dessert apple, found in northern France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
  • See also GoldRush
    GoldRush
    A modern disease-resistant apple, like Golden Delicious but with a better tart/sweet balance. Good for eating fresh and juicing / cider.
  • See also Queen Cox
    Queen Cox
    A modern self-fertile form of the renowned Cox's Orange Pippin, with arguably even better flavour.

This variety description was produced by Orange Pippin staff from first-hand research. Last checked: 01-Aug-2025.

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