Malus domestica ‘discovery’
€30.00
Frequently Bought Together
Description
Quick Facts
- Common Name: Discovery Apple
- Botanical Name: Malus domestica ‘Discovery’
- Plant Type: Deciduous fruit tree
- Mature Height: 3–4m (as a standard tree; can be kept smaller with pruning or on dwarfing rootstock)
- Mature Spread: 2.5–3.5m
- Flowering Period: April to May
- Flower Colour: White to soft pink
- Fruit: Medium-sized, bright red apples with crisp, juicy white flesh; sweet-sharp flavour; early harvest (mid-August to early September)
- Foliage: Mid-green, turning yellow in autumn
- Hardiness: RHS H6 (hardy throughout UK & Ireland)
- Soil Requirements: Moist, well-drained, moderately fertile
- Aspect: Full sun (essential for best fruiting and colour)
- Maintenance: Moderate (annual pruning and thinning recommended)
Description
Malus domestica ‘Discovery’ is one of the earliest and most rewarding apple trees for Irish and UK gardens, delivering a cheerful burst of colour and flavour just as summer reaches its peak. Renowned for its crisp, juicy fruit and reliable cropping, it’s a perfect choice for anyone who loves to enjoy home-grown apples straight from the tree.
In spring, ‘Discovery’ puts on a charming display of white to blush-pink blossom, attracting pollinators and brightening the orchard or garden border. By mid-August, the tree is laden with medium-sized, bright red apples—sometimes flushed with a hint of yellow—each one crisp, sweet, and wonderfully refreshing. The fruit is best enjoyed fresh from the tree, but it also makes delicious juice and can be used in desserts.
Vigorous and easy to grow, ‘Discovery’ is well suited to most gardens and performs reliably in the Irish and UK climate. It’s partially self-fertile but will crop more heavily with another apple of a compatible pollination group (group 3—such as ‘James Grieve’, ‘Fiesta’, or ‘Greensleeves’) nearby.
Plant as a specimen in a lawn, as part of a mixed orchard, or train against a sunny wall for an early harvest and a burst of summer colour. Its combination of blossom, fruit, and autumn foliage makes it a garden classic.
Caragh Garden Notebook
Planting:
Space trees 2.5–3.5m apart for standards, or closer for cordons/espaliers. Plant bare-root or container-grown trees in late autumn to early spring (November–March). Choose a sunny, sheltered site with fertile, well-drained soil. Avoid frost pockets and waterlogged areas. Dig a generous hole, incorporate well-rotted compost, and plant at the same depth as in the nursery. Firm soil, water well, and mulch to retain moisture.
Space trees 2.5–3.5m apart for standards, or closer for cordons/espaliers. Plant bare-root or container-grown trees in late autumn to early spring (November–March). Choose a sunny, sheltered site with fertile, well-drained soil. Avoid frost pockets and waterlogged areas. Dig a generous hole, incorporate well-rotted compost, and plant at the same depth as in the nursery. Firm soil, water well, and mulch to retain moisture.
Soil Preparation:
Prefers moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil; pH 6.0–7.0 is ideal. Improve poor soils with compost or well-rotted manure before planting.
Prefers moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil; pH 6.0–7.0 is ideal. Improve poor soils with compost or well-rotted manure before planting.
Pruning & Care:
Prune annually in late winter or early spring to maintain shape, encourage fruiting spurs, and remove any dead or congested growth. Thin fruit in early summer to promote larger, healthier apples and reduce the risk of biennial bearing.
Prune annually in late winter or early spring to maintain shape, encourage fruiting spurs, and remove any dead or congested growth. Thin fruit in early summer to promote larger, healthier apples and reduce the risk of biennial bearing.
Pollination:
‘Discovery’ is partially self-fertile but will crop best with a pollination partner from group 3, such as ‘James Grieve’, ‘Fiesta’, or ‘Greensleeves’.
‘Discovery’ is partially self-fertile but will crop best with a pollination partner from group 3, such as ‘James Grieve’, ‘Fiesta’, or ‘Greensleeves’.
Harvesting:
Pick fruit from mid-August to early September when apples are fully coloured and come away easily from the branch. Best eaten fresh, but can be stored for a couple of weeks in a cool place.
Pick fruit from mid-August to early September when apples are fully coloured and come away easily from the branch. Best eaten fresh, but can be stored for a couple of weeks in a cool place.
Pests & Problems:
Generally reliable and disease resistant, but watch for aphids, apple scab, and codling moth. Good hygiene and regular checks help keep trees healthy.
Generally reliable and disease resistant, but watch for aphids, apple scab, and codling moth. Good hygiene and regular checks help keep trees healthy.
Propagation:
Not typically divided; propagate by grafting in winter for more trees.
Not typically divided; propagate by grafting in winter for more trees.
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