You may have seen columnar apple trees online, in a seed catalog, or maybe in-person at an apple orchard. Naturally, you might be wondering where these trees came from and whether they are worth your time.
So, what apple trees are columnar? Some columnar apple tree varieties include Crimson Spire, Emerald Spire, Golden Sentinel, Golden Treat, Northpole, Scarlet Sentinel, Scarlet Spire, Tangy Green, Tasty Red, Ultra Spire, and White Icicle.
Remember that apple trees are not self-pollinating, so you will only get optimal production when two different varieties are planted together (to ensure proper cross pollination and increased fruit set for both).
In this article, we’ll talk about columnar apple trees and why you might want to try them. We’ll also take a closer look at the varieties mentioned above.
Let’s get started.
What Is A Columnar Apple Tree?
Due to its compact profile, a columnar apple tree is sometimes called by other names, including:
- patio apple tree (it would fit on your patio in a container)
- urban apple tree (ideal for growing fruit in the city with limited space)
- spires (they grow tall like spires on a church)
- colonnades (a row of columns supporting a roof)
This type of tree was discovered in the 1960s, when a McIntosh apple tree mutated and grew in a “columnar” fashion, with fruit appearing on the main trunk (or “leader” branch). Breeders have used this genetic anomaly to produce many different types of columnar apple trees (more on them later!)
At maturity, a columnar apple tree is a few feet wide (at most!) This means it will fit much better on a patio (or in a tight space in a city), since it only needs a container with a width of 20 inches or so.
(You can learn more about growing fruit trees in pots here).
However, this also means that the roots are rather shallow, so a columnar apple tree needs staking if you plant it in the ground. At maturity, the amount of fruit on a small tree can make it top-heavy and prone to falling over in the wind (at which point, you might need to stake it anyway).
A columnar apple tree is a type of dwarf apple tree grows vertically, with much more height than width. Generally, a columnar apple tree has only one vertical leader branch, with all of the fruit growing directly from this leader branch.
How Big Do Columnar Apple Trees Get?
Columnar apple trees grow to a height of 7 to 10 feet at maturity. Often, they will only be 2 to 3 feet wide at maturity.
Compare this to other types of apple trees, which grow to a height and width of up to 25 feet for standard varieties.
| Apple Tree Type | Height (feet) | Width (feet) |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 18-25 | 18-25 |
| Semi Dwarf | 15-18 | 15-18 |
| Dwarf | 8-10 | 8-10 |
| Columnar | 8-10 | 2-3 |
and width at maturity for standard,
semi-dwarf, dwarf, and columnar apple trees.
How Long Do Columnar Apple Trees Take To Fruit?
It depends on the variety and how old the tree is when you plant it. From seed, it can take several years to get fruit (and it might not be the same type of fruit as the parent plant!)
If you plant an established fruit tree from a nursery, it will probably take 1 to 5 years after planting before the tree will bear fruit.
Are Columnar Apple Trees Worth It?
Columnar apple trees are worthwhile if you have limited space in your yard and you want to grow your own apples. Remember that an apple tree needs another variety of apple tree nearby to produce a better harvest
So, one tree won’t cut it – you will need at least two apple trees of different types to get a good harvest. With limited space, columnar fruit trees will give you a chance to get fruit without taking up (or shading) your whole garden.
Columnar apple trees are also easier to maintain than other types of apple trees. First of all, they don’t get too tall (usually 10 feet at most). Also, they are not very wide, and they have no branches to speak of, so there is not as much pruning work to do.
What Apple Trees Are Columnar?
- Crimson Spire
- Emerald Spire
- Golden Sentinel
- Golden Treat
- Northpole
- Scarlet Sentinel
- Scarlet Spire
- Tangy Green
- Tasty Red
- Ultra Spire
- White Icicle
Let’s take a closer look at each one, starting with Crimson Spire.
Crimson Spire
Crimson Spire apple trees produce fruit in September. The fruit has skin that is a shiny, deep dark red. At maturity, the tree reaches a height of only 8 to 10 feet, with a width of just 2 to 3 feet.
It grows well outdoors to USDA zones 4 to 8 and blooms with white flowers. The tree produces medium to large, crisp and tangy fruit 2 to 5 years after planting.
You can find Crimson Spire apple trees from Stark Brothers.
Emerald Spire
Emerald Spire apple trees produce fruit in early to mid-September. The fruit has skin with a light green color. At maturity, the tree reaches a height of only 8 to 10 feet, with a width of just 2 to 3 feet.
It grows well outdoors to USDA zones 4 to 8 and blooms with white flowers. The tree produces medium to large, crisp and tangy fruit 2 to 5 years after planting.
You can find Emerald Spire apple trees from Stark Brothers.
Golden Sentinel
Golden Sentinel apple trees produce fruit in September. The fruit has skin that is a shining, almost golden yellow-green. At maturity, the tree reaches a height of 8 to 12 feet and a width of only 2 to 3 feet.
It grows well outdoors in USDA zones 4 to 8. It is hardy to -30 degrees Fahrenheit (-34 degrees Celsius).
(You can find more cold hardy fruit trees here).
The tree grows vertically with no branches and produces white flowers and lots of fruit, which has a flavor similar to Golden Delicious.
You can find Golden Sentinel apple trees from Fast Growing Trees.
Golden Treat
Golden Treat apple trees produce fruit in mid-September. The fruit has skin that is a golden yellow hue. At maturity, the tree reaches a height of only 8 to 10 feet, with a width of just 2 feet.
It grows well outdoors to USDA zones 4 to 8. The tree produces slightly tart fruit.
You can find Golden Treat apple trees from Gurney’s.
Northpole
Northpole apple trees produce fruit in late August to early September. The fruit has skin that is a shiny, brilliant shade of red. At maturity, the tree reaches a height of just 8 to 10 feet.
It grows well outdoors in USDA zones 4 to 8. It is hardy to -30 degrees Fahrenheit (-34 degrees Celsius).
The tree produces white flowers in April and juicy, sweet, aromatic fruit, which are similar to McIntosh apples. It is resistant to apple scab.
You can find Northpole apple trees from One Green World.
Scarlet Sentinel
Scarlet Sentinel apple trees produce fruit in September. The fruit has skin that is green with blushing red color. At maturity, the tree reaches a height of 8 to 12 feet and a width of only 2 to 3 feet.
It grows well outdoors in USDA zones 4 to 8. It can tolerate temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius).
You can find Scarlet Sentinel apple trees from Fast Growing Trees.
Scarlet Spire
Scarlet Spire apple trees produce fruit in late September. The fruit has skin with a light green color with plenty of red blushing. At maturity, the tree reaches a height of only 8 to 10 feet, with a width of just 2 to 3 feet.
It grows well outdoors to USDA zones 4 to 8 and blooms with white flowers. The tree produces medium to large, crisp and spicy fruit 2 to 5 years after planting.
You can find Scarlet Spire apple trees from Stark Brothers.
Tangy Green
Tangy Green apple trees produce fruit in September. The fruit has skin that is a shiny shade of light green. At maturity, the tree reaches a height of only 8 to 10 feet, with a width of just 2 feet.
It grows well outdoors to USDA zones 4 to 8. It is hardy to -30 degrees Fahrenheit (-34 degrees Celsius).
The tree produces tangy, tart, and crisp fruit.
You can find Tangy Green apple trees from Fast Growing Trees.
Tasty Red
Tasty Red apple trees produce fruit in mid-September. The fruit has skin with a red color with some yellow near the top. At maturity, the tree reaches a height of only 8 to 10 feet, with a width of just 2 to 3 feet.
It grows well outdoors to USDA zones 4 to 8 and blooms with pink or white flowers. The tree produces medium-sized, sweet fruit just 1 to 2 years after planting.
You can find Tasty Red apple trees from Stark Brothers.
Ultra Spire
Ultra Spire apple trees produce fruit in September. The fruit has skin with a deep red color. At maturity, the tree reaches a height of only 8 to 10 feet, with a width of just 2 to 3 feet.
It grows well outdoors to USDA zones 4 to 8 and blooms with white flowers. The tree produces medium-sized, crisp and juicy fruit 2 to 5 years after planting.
You can find Ultra Spire apple trees from Stark Brothers.
White Icicle
White Icicle apple trees produce fruit in late September. The fruit has skin that is very pale yellow, giving it an almost white appearance. At maturity, the tree reaches a height of 8 to 10 feet.
It grows well outdoors in USDA zones 4 to 8. It can tolerate temperatures down to -30 degrees Fahrenheit (-34 degrees Celsius).
It produces white flowers that bloom in April, and over 50 juicy and sweet apples per tree. The tree has good resistance to apple scab.
You can find White Icicle apple trees from One Green World.
Conclusion
Now you know about quite a few columnar apple tree varieties and what to expect from each of them. You also know why columnar apple trees can be useful if you want to fit some fruit trees into tight spaces.
I hope you found this article helpful. If so, please share it with someone who can use the information.
You can learn more about apple tree care here.
If your apple tree drops its fruit, you can find out why here.
If you want to read some of my most popular posts, check out the “Best of GreenUpSide” page here. Enjoy!
~Jonathon