Gooseberry

One of the sharpest tasting late cooking apples.

Origin: Kent UK, 1831

Pollination: Gooseberry is a self-sterile triploid and would require a pollinator to produce a crop.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 ...

Gooseberry apple trees produced to order

Closing date for custom graft orders: 14 Jul 2026

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 2027. More details of our custom grafting service here.

History and description of Gooseberry

Gooseberry apple probably arose in Kent. First recorded 1831. Widely grown in Kent in the 19th century for the London markets. A late-keeping culinary apple known for its acidity.

A large apple. Variable, flat-round to oblong shape, often irregular and lopsided. Fairly distinctly ribbed. Bright green background skin colour, slowly becoming pale yellow. Some fruits with a slight brown flush. White coarse textured flesh, tinged green. Very acid and rather astringent, cooking to a sharp puree.

A tree of great vigour. Spreading. Good cropper.

Characteristics of Gooseberry apple trees

Use	Culinary
Colour	Green
Flavour	Acid
Fruit size	Medium
Picking time	Late Oct
Season of use	Dec-Mar
Tree vigour	Vigorous
Tree habit	Spreading
Fruit-bearing	Spur-bearer
Cropping	Good
Pollination date	15
Pollination group	D
Self-fertility	Self-sterile triploid
Pollinators	Pollination partners