Bismarck

An old Australian cooking apple. Good regular cropper and a useful general purpose cooker.

Origin: Australia, 1870

Pollination: Bismarck is partially self-fertile and would produce some crop without a pollinator but would benefit considerably from a pollinator.Find pollination partners >

British-grown All our bare-root trees are personally hand-grafted by our Nursery Manager and grown on at our nursery in Kent. We have Defra and Plant Healthy certification. More ...

Bismarck apple trees produced to order

Closing date for custom graft orders: 14 Jul 2025

We do not stock this variety, but we can produce custom-graft trees for you. Trees can be grafted on any of the following rootstocks:

Form	Rootstock	Price
Maiden	M9Dwarfing	£39.00
Maiden	M26Semi-dwarfing	£39.00
Maiden	MM106Semi-vigorous	£39.00
Maiden	MM111Vigorous	£39.00
Maiden	M25Very vigorous	£39.00

Custom graft trees would be supplied in December 2026. More details of our custom grafting service here.

History and description of Bismarck

An old Australian variety dating from c1870 which is believed to have either originated at the German settlement of Bismarck in Tasmania or raised by F Fricke, a German settler at Carisbrooke, Victoria. Awarded RHS First Class Certificate 1887. Grown in Victoria and also in Europe until 1930's.

Medium to large, short-round-conical fruit. Bright red flush and stripes over green skin. Crisp, juicy, white astringent flesh. High Vitamin C content. Cooks to a golden yellow, well flavoured puree.

Moderately vigorous, spreading tree. Good cropper. Heavy crops require thinning to get good and even sized fruit.

Characteristics of Bismarck apple trees

Use	Culinary
Colour	Flushed
Flavour	Acid
Fruit size	Large
Picking time	Early Oct
Season of use	Nov-Feb
Tree vigour	Moderate
Tree habit	Spreading
Fruit-bearing	Spur-bearer
Cropping	Good
Suitable for	Late Frost
Pollination date	8
Pollination group	C
Self-fertility	Partially self-fertile
Pollinators	Pollination partners
Progeny	Bushey Grove