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.
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