Tree of the Week: March 11th, 2025
ArborNote’s Tree of the Week is the Anna Apple Tree (Malus domestica ‘Anna’). This is a special type of apple tree that was developed in Israel in the 1950s to be able to survive in warm climates. Most stone fruit trees, like apples, need a certain amount of “chill” hours to produce fruit. In places like Israel (and our office in Irvine California!), don’t see a lot of cold weather, making it difficult to grow traditional stone fruits. A regular apple needs between 500 – 1000 hours of chilling in order to get in blossom, but Anna flourishes even with less than 300 hours! The apples — red, sweet, and semi-acidic — ripen in June and July. Anna apple trees usually start bearing fruit 2–4 years after planting. However, the quality and quantity of the fruit may improve as the tree ages. It is partially self-pollinating, so you’ll get a nice harvest from a single tree. However, if your trees are planted with a partner, they’ll get cross-pollinated and produce a better harvest if there is another flowering apple tree nearby!
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