Kidd's Orange Red is one of the select band of apple varieties which can truly be said to rival the definitive Cox's Orange Pippin for flavour. It is primarily a sweet apple, but unlike most sweet apples it has a rich complexity to the flavours too. Kidd's Orange Red is fairly crisp but also pleasantly chewy, and each bite seems to release yet more juice and flavour. It's in some ways reminiscent of a good French dessert wine - sweet, but with a good kick to it.
Kidd's Orange Red is a popular garden variety in the UK, so much so that it has come to be regarded as a typical 'English' apple. However it was actually raised in New Zealand at the start of the 20th century by J.H. Kidd, who was an enthusiast of the English Cox's Orange Pippin apple which is one of the parents of Kidd's Orange Red.
The tree grows attractively, and the crimson pink blossom is a particular feature. Although primarily an apple for eating fresh, Kidd's Orange Red also produces a very pleasant sweet apple juice.
Captain Kidd is a 'sport' with a stronger red colour but identical in other respects.
**All prices include delivery (except certain fan-trained or espalier-trained trees). We offer a discount on orders of multiple bare-root trees for delivery at the same time - this will be shown at the checkout.
Fan-trained and Espalier trees: Prices of these trees do NOT include delivery as these require special delivery arrangements - click here for details.
Delivery period: Pot-grown trees can be delivered from September onwards. Bare-root trees can be delivered from mid-November onwards. Within those periods you can specify your preferred month of delivery during the checkout process. It is best to order as soon as you can to ensure items are reserved for you.
*Mature heights: Height shown is the approximate height of the tree when mature (after 5-10 years), not the height when supplied. See photos of trees as supplied. Actual mature heights may vary considerably dependent on your local conditions and training and pruning regime.
Stock availability: Items showing as 'sold out' will probably be available again next season. If you would like to reserve in advance use our enquiry form - this does not commit you to anything.
Kidd's Orange Red is self-sterile and needs to be pollinated by another tree of a different variety nearby. Since it flowers in the middle of the blossom season it can be pollinated by most other apple trees.
Our online pollination checker lists suitable pollination partners for this variety.
More advice about pollination.
It often seems that apples with the best flavor are the most difficult to grow, but this is not the case with Kidd's Orange Red. It is very easy to grow, generally problem-free, and makes an excellent garden variety for most regions, including cool temperate climates and warmer climates. It forms an attractive-looking tree with long branches which grow vertically when the tree is young but then bend over with fruit as the tree comes into bearing. (If necessary, tie the young branches towards the horizontal to improve the appearance - this will also help cropping). Certainly worth considering as a feature apple tree.
The only caveats are that the fruit ripens late in the season, and benefits from being planted in a sunny spot in the garden. It is not a heavy-cropper, although cropping is reliable.
Fruit size can be on the small size but this can be corrected by moderate thinning as the fruitlets start to form.
Planting instructions.
Pruning instructions.
Kidd's Orange Red was developed in the 1920s by New Zealand apple enthusiast J.H. Kidd. It is a cross between Cox's Orange Pippin and Delicious.
