Cornish Gilliflower

An old English apple with an unusual shape and sweet perfumed flavour orginating from Cornwall.

Origin: Cornwall UK, 1800

Pollination: Cornish Gilliflower is self-sterile and would require a pollinator to produce a crop.Find pollination partners >

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History and description of Cornish Gilliflower

A very old variety, brought to notice by Sir Christopher Hawkins in 1813 having been discovered in a garden in Truro, Cornwall in about 1800. The word Gilliflower is believed to have been derived from the old French word Girofle meaning clove and given to this variety because it is supposed to have a clove-like frangrance when cut.

Medium to large sized, rather unusual irregular oblong or oblong-conical shaped fruit. The knobbly exterior is quite boldly ribbed and distinctly five crowned. The skin is rather rough, often with some russetting, greenish yellow with up to half flushed orange-red. Very firm yellow flesh, tinged green around the core. Rather dry but sweet with a melon like frangrance.

Moderately vigorous, very spreading tree. It is a tip-bearer and unsuited for training into restricted forms such as cordons and espaliers. A light cropper.

Characteristics of Cornish Gilliflower apple trees

Use	Dessert
Colour	Flushed
Flavour	Aromatic
Fruit size	Medium
Picking time	Mid Oct
Season of use	Nov-Jan
Tree vigour	Moderate
Tree habit	Upright-spreading
Fruit-bearing	Tip-bearer
Cropping	Light
Disease resistance	Canker - Susceptible Scab - Resistant
Special features	Attractive Blossom
Pollination date	12
Pollination group	D
Self-fertility	Self-sterile
Pollinators	Pollination partners
Progeny	Cornish Pine