Empire Apple Tree
Begins shipping mid-April.
Zones 4 - 7
Pollinator required to bear fruit
Even better than McIntosh? You be the judge!
A disease-resistant apple tree with a reliable crop!
Originating from New York in 1945 as a Delicious and McIntosh cross, the Empire apple tree is a customer favorite! These apples offer the best of both worlds, the flavor of a McIntosh and the sweetness of a Red Delicious.
This hardy and productive tree is disease-resistant against fire-blight and cedar apple rust. Empire is an early spring bloomer. Pollinate with another early-mid blooming apple variety and expect a nice-sized harvest of apples come September. Add more fruit to your harvest with this reliable and traditional apple tree!
Empire is a licensed variety of Cornell University.
Characteristics
| Bloom Color | White |
| Fruit Color | Red |
| Fruit Size | Medium |
| Ripens/Harvest | September |
| Soil Composition | Loamy |
| Taste | Sweet |
| Texture | Firm |
| Soil pH Level | 6-7 |
| Soil Moisture | Well Drained |
| Bloom Time | Early |
| Years to Bear | 2-5 |
| Shade Level | Full Sun |
| Hardiness Zone Range | 4-7 |
Size & Spacing
Pollination
This variety requires another one for adequate pollination.
Cross-pollination by a different variety is key to its growing and bearing success. Plant a different variety within 15 meters (50 feet) for best pollination.
Recommended Pollinators: Red Delicious, Wolf River, Zestar, Buckeye Gala, Honeycrisp, Cortland, Liberty, Royal Empire, SnowSweet
How do I find my Hardiness Zone?
Canada’s Plant Hardiness Zones will tell you which plants will do well in your particular climate. Each zone is determined by the lowest average winter temperature recorded in a given area. Hardiness Zone information is included on all tree and plant product pages, so you know instantly whether a certain plant is likely to succeed where you live. Natural Resources Canada provides helpful options to find your zone:
Brian Westover –
The tree has beautiful flowers and healthy looking leaves but we will see if there is any fruit this year. So far so good
Peter Pompey –
Healthy growth just waiting for blossoms. It’s about 3 years old now.
Batzaya Lyu –
This trooper tree survived and I can’t wait to get some fruit in few years.
Scott Campbell –
Good quality tree. A little slower growing than I expected.
Becky Housberg –
We have many trees from StarkBro’s. A few personal ones in our backyard, one is an Empire, and about 150 in our small orchard business. StarkBro’s trees do the best of all our 200+ trees. They thrive if taken care of properly and will produce many apples and look beautiful. I recommend them above most nurseries. Becky Housberg of Apple Trails Family Orchard in Osceola/Weldon Iowa
John Ellis –
I planted this tree last spring and it did just great all the way through the summer and fall. It took off this spring and even had a few blossoms on the tree this spring.Stark Brothers nursery stock should be first on your list if you are considering planting any trees.
Kristyn Ryan –
A very beautiful tree blooming and I’m excited to watch the apples in years to come fill the tree !!
Chuck Wilcox –
MMy trees are just one year old and growing nicely. Good, strong, healthy trees. Can’t wait until they bear fruit.
Amber Toberman –
Unfortunately, both of my apple trees, my peach tree did not make it this winter and my raspberry plants last year did not live at all, they never even got a leaf on them.
Nancy Zhang –
Very good. But still very small. No flowers this year.