Malus 'Golden Delicious' #7

When Mom and Dad first moved to this property in the late 70's, one of the first things on their to-do list was to plant an orchard. The three of us kids were lucky enough to grow up with that orchard, complete with multiple varieties of apples, peaches and pears. Of the apples, 'Golden Delicious' was, hands down, my (Dave here) favorite variety. The crisp, juicy flesh made it nearly impossible to take a bite without the sugary juice running down my chin and onto my shirt. Not only was it my favorite snacking apple, it also made the best apple pie I've ever had. I'll give Mom most of the credit for the pie, but I'm sure Golden Delicious played an integral part in making it an award winning pie. As a heavily flowering and fruiting variety, there was never a shortage of perfectly plump, golden, truly delicious apples. The apples are well known for their shelf life and can be stored in a refrigerator for 3-5 months. 'Golden Delicious' does need a pollinator planted nearby. It cross pollinates well with Gala, Fuji, and Red Delicious along with any other apple tree that blooms around the same time. It is considered semi-dwarf, growing 12-14' tall and wide. Grows in full sun and is hardy to Zone 4.