Apple Trees

Why some plants need partners to produce fruit can be confusing. While hollies bear male and female flowers on separate plants and need mates to develop berries, with apples it's more complicated.

Apple trees have "perfect" flowers containing both male (pollen-producing) and female (ovary-containing) structures. To prevent inbreeding, however, a flower will rarely develop fruit with its own pollen. By planting two different apple tree cultivars that bloom at the same time, the bees will cross-pollinate them and your apples will be on their way. "Triploid" apple cultivars, such as 'Winesap' and 'Jonagold,' have an odd set of chromosomes, so their pollen is not viable. You'll need three different apple tree cultivars if you plant a triploid.

With more than 30 years experience in horticulture in B.C. – in wholesale, retail and at VanDusen Botanical Garden for a decade – Carolyn Jones brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to GardenWise and www.gardenwiseonline.ca as staff horticulturist.

• pollinating apples,
• tree,
• trees,
• pollinate,
• gardens,
• apple trees,
• cross-pollinating apples,
• Plants,