The Golden Delicious apple tree is a heavily producing cultivar, bearing from the trunk out which means you need to thin the fruit to avoid biennial bearing and fruit drop. Although this apple tree is classed as self-pollinating, having a nearby pollinator can increase fruit production. Pollinating trees include Red Delicious, Honeycrisp, or Empire. The size of the tree depends on whether you select a a dwarf, 8 to 10 feet, or a semi-dwarf, 12 to 15 feet, variety. This cultivar is heat-tolerant and cold-hardy. The Golden Delicious apple ripens in mid-September in North Carolina. The taste is sweet and crisp and is often used for baking as well as fresh eating. It is a popular home orchard cultivar. Soil type needed is average to loamy but it responds to enriched soil with better production. Apple trees do best with a slightly acidic soil pH in the range of 5.0 to 6.8. Fruit production will respond best to full sun and air movement around the tree and through its branches. It is not recommended to place the tree near taller trees or structures that would shade it for a few hours each day. In summary, air movement, sunlight, and good soil and drainage all lead to a healthy, productive tree. This tree is prone to apple scab. It may also be susceptible to powdery mildew, apple canker, or honey (root) fungus. The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center has a factsheet on common apple and crab apple diseases and other plant problems. VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Edibles, Bulbs, and Houseplants," a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Malus domestica .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Fills a similar nicheMalus domestica 'Fuji'Malus domestica 'Ginger Gold'Malus domestica 'Stayman'
Full plant profile
Growing Conditions
Plant type
Edible; Tree
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
12-24 feet
Mature size
Height: 8 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in. | Width: 8 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Very variable leaf shape and size. Underside has raised veins and may or may not be pubescent.
Flower color
Pink; White
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
The flowers bloom in clusters in spring. The buds are pink, opening to white flowers.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Gold/Yellow; Green
Fruit type
Pome
Fruit value
Edible
Fruit size
> 3 inches long, > 3 inches wide
Fruit detail
The fruit is large and starts out as pale green, becoming a gold-green when ripe. The apple is crisp, juicy and sweet, usually ripening in late September.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
United States, W. Virginia
Wildlife value
pollinator in spring
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Fruit
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Pome
Edibility
The fruit is large and yellow-green skinned. Crisp, juicy and sweet. It is good for eating, baking, making sauce, salads and apple butter. It usually ripens in late September.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Lawn; Meadow
Landscape theme
Edible Garden
Design feature
Small groups
Garden tags
#deciduous #full sun tolerant #food source fall #edible garden #fruit tree #apple tree
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Apple Rust Mite; Green Apple Aphid / Spirea Aphid; Apple Maggot; White Apple Leafhopper; Woolly Apple Aphid; Lesser Appleworm; Predatory Mites on Apple; Glomerella Leaf Spot and Fruit Rot; Flatheaded Appletree Borer; Disease and Insect Management in the Home Orchard