Worcester Pearmain is a classic English early-season apple, and remains popular as a garden variety. The apples are fairly small, and a pretty bright red where the sun catches them, whilst the blossom in spring is also a feature.
The flavour is good and sweet for an early variety, and in a good year you may notice the slight strawberry flavour for which this variety is renowned.
Like most early-season varieties, Worcester Pearmain does not keep. It is at its best when eaten straight from the tree, but you can store the apples in a fridge for up to a week.
Although always considered as a dessert apple variety, Worcester Pearmain is a good variety for stewed apple.
**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.
Worcester Pearmain is partially self-fertile, but fruiting will be improved if there is a compatible 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.
Worcester Pearmain makes a good and reliable apple tree for the garden. Inspite of its susceptibility to the apple diseases scab and canker, it is generally a problem-free tree, and it is resistant to mildew. Pruning needs to be done carefully as Worcester Pearmain is a tip-bearer and the apples are borne on the end of the shoots.
Planting instructions.
Pruning instructions.
Worcestershire, England. 1870s. According to the Victorian writer Hogg, Worcester Pearmain is a seedling of Devonshire Quarrenden.
