HomeFruit TreesApple TreesStark® Golden Delicious Apple Tree
tree iconWhat size tree should I choose?

Stark® Golden Delicious Apple Tree

(136 customer reviews)

$74.99 – $113.99

Begins shipping mid-April.

Zones 4 - 9

Is my location compatible?

Self-Pollinating

tree iconWhat size tree should I choose?
(136 customer reviews)

Begins shipping
mid-April

Zones 4 - 9

Is my location compatible?

Self-Pollinating

A classic among classics – versatile & reliable!

In 1914, Paul Stark Sr. introduced an apple with no equal: it was sweet, exceptionally juicy, a bit spicy … and it wasn’t red! The tree is an abundant bearer of excellent fresh fruit that, when picked at the perfect ripeness, tastes better than the same apple in a store. A generational favorite for snacking, pies, applesauce and sweet or savory salads. Cold-hardy and heat-tolerant. Discovered by Anderson Mullins in West Virginia. Ripens in late September. Self-pollinating, and also one of the most dependable pollinators for other varieties.

Characteristics

Bloom ColorWhite
Fruit ColorYellow
Fruit SizeMedium-Large
Ripens/HarvestLate September
Soil CompositionLoamy
TasteMild, Sweet
TextureCRISP, WHITE
Soil pH Level6-7
Soil MoistureWell Drained
Bloom TimeMid
Years to Bear2-5
Shade LevelFull Sun
Hardiness Zone Range4-9

Size & Spacing

Mature Size

Semi-Dwarf  3.5 – 4.5 m tall x 3.5 – 4.5 m wide (12 – 15′ tall x 12 – 15′ wide)

Recommended Spacing

Semi-Dwarf 3.5 – 4.5 m (12 – 15′)

Ship Height

Semi-dwarf, Bare-root Ships 0.9 – 1.2 m tall (3-4′ tall) with a 9.5 mm (3/8″) trunk.
Supreme Semi-Dwarf EZ Start® Ships 0.9 – 1.2 m (3-4′) Tall with advanced root system in a 12.7×12.7×30.5 cm (5x5x12″) EZ Start® Pot.

Pollination

This variety is self pollinating.

In many cases, you may still want to plant pollinating partners to increase the size of your crops, but with self-pollinating varieties doing so is optional. You’ll get fruit with only one plant!

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:

Find your zone by province and municipality »

Find your zone using an interactive map »

136 reviews for Stark® Golden Delicious Apple Tree

  1. Dave Mattison –

    Our Courtland did NOT make it BUT the other two are thriving…

  2. Curtis Lesher –

    I planted a Golden Delicious about a year ago and it seemed to do fine last summer and fall, but it died over the winter. Very disappointed.

  3. Bob Armor –

    Tree did not make it through winter. Since April was cold I was not able to tell until after the 1 yr warranty had expired.

  4. Mark Hackford –

    I purchased a Golden Delicious apple for my orchard this year but I was sent a cherry tree by mistake. A short Customer service call later and the correct tree was on it’s way.The tree looks great and I appreciate the great service.

  5. DENNIS TOTMAN –

    My Golden Delicious died. I had two and both died. No idea why as the surrounding trees (Pear, Red Delicious, Granny Smith) are doing well. Glad you asked….

  6. Bethany Banks –

    This tree arrived in the fall and I followed the instructions to acclimate and plant. It took right to the soil and despite a run-in with a hungry goat recovered and overwintered beautifully… bright and bushy this spring!

  7. Russell Potterfield –

    I’m tickled with my Golden D trees from Stark Brothers. They have adapted perfectly to their new environment and have grown vigorously. My trees fruited in their second leaf, but I haven’t quite gotten my raccoon problem sorted out yet and the masked bandits got the better of my almost-ready-to-harvest apple crop in 2018.Golden D from an unfertilized, organically-grown, emergency-irrigated tree is a very different beast than a Golden D from the store. I have to remind myself that the soft-fleshed examples from the grocery bin have little in common with the tree that would have prompted Stark to have taken this apple on in the first place a hundred years ago. This apple, when grown with love and without too much fertilizer, is quite special!

  8. Adam Fontenot –

    After purchasing my stark golden delicious I was kind of concerned, considering I live in South central Louisiana. After planting my apple tree during the winter time (bare root approx. 1.5 – 2 feet exposed), it stayed dormant very long, we had one of the coldest winters I’ve ever experienced. With snow on the ground for more than two day’s (which is unusual) and snow more than three times in one season. My apple did not start putting out leaves until almost May, my first thought was she died on me. Then the first year was rough, started fighting brown spots and insects. Now on the second year she is doing wonderful!! my apple tree is now approx. 5-6 feet exposed with beautiful green leaves long healthy branches and very nice and straight base. Great purchase, very good shipping and great price. Thank you, Adam.

  9. RALPH TRIPP –

    This tree died before it was a year old. I think the winter killed the tree. I since planted a bare root Rome beauty in the same location in 2017 which seems to be very hardy. Maybe the Golden delicious tree received to much water from the snow as it seemed heathy in the fall but never came back to life in the following year before it was a year old.

  10. walter britt –

    Bought 4 bare root fruit trees in December and planted them per instructions upon arrival in March. Cherry tree died. Peach tree is “okay” the Honecrisp looks like it’s been in an over, but the Golden Delicious looks wonderful. It’s the only one with lots of new growth.

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About Stark Bro’s

A growing legacy since 1816. For over 200 years, Stark Bro’s has helped people in North America provide delicious home-grown food for their families. We’re proud to now offer many of the same great trees, plants, and gardening products to Canadian growers!

Read about the Stark Bro’s history that spans over 200 years »

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We love to keep in touch with our customers and talk about what’s happening each season at Stark Bro’s. Follow us on your favorite social networks and share what you grow!

Questions or Comments?

Email : Use our email support form »

Phone : 833.898.0600

Mail : PO BOX 1800  Louisiana, MO 63353

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Tree Sizes

It is essential that you choose the right size for your space. Whether you’re planting an acre, a suburban yard or a small urban plot, we’ve got the perfect size tree for you. When they mature, they will be one of three sizes*:

dwarf
dwarf

Dwarf

Grows to be about 2.5-3 m (approximately 8-10′) tall and wide. Provides a bounty of full-sized fruit in a small amount of space.

semi-dwarf
semi-dwarf

Semi-Dwarf

Grows to be about 3.5-4.5 m (approximately 12-15′) tall and wide. Produces the maximum crop per square foot of growing area. The majority of the fruit can be harvested from the ground, with no need for a ladder.

standard

Standard & Unmarked

Grows to be at least 5.5 m (approximately 18′) tall and wide. Standard nectarine and peach trees grow to be 3.5-4.5 m (approximately 12-15′) tall and wide. Standard trees serve two purposes: they provide both fruit and shade.

* Tree sizes may vary by variety.

Potted Trees

potted tree

EZ Start® Potted Trees

Trees that are grown in a bottomless 4x4x10″ pot, which encourages dense feeder-root growth for a quick, strong establishment. When shipped, they are about 1½ – 3′ tall.

Supreme EZ Start® Potted Trees

Top-grade trees are grown in a bottomless 5x5x12″ pot, which creates an advanced root system comparable to that of a three-year-old tree. When shipped to you, they are about 3 – 4′ tall.

Supreme XL Potted Trees

Our biggest and most robust potted trees. Grown in a 9x9x12″ pot filled with high-grade soil, these trees are even larger than our Supreme EZ Start® trees. When shipped to you, they are 4-5′ tall.

Bare-Root Trees

bare-root

Stark Supreme Tree®

This season’s top-grade, bare-root trees that give you a head start on growing. When shipped, they are about 4-5′ tall and/or with a 5/8″ or larger trunk diameter.

Supreme XL Trees

We don’t call them “XL” for nothing! Supreme XL trees are our biggest and most robust bare-root trees: they ship 5-6′ tall and/or with a 1″ or larger trunk diameter.

USDA Certified Organic Trees

organic

If you’re inclined toward organic gardening, browse our selection of non-GMO, certified USDA Organic fruit trees. Our fields and trees undergo annual inspection to maintain their certification, and are grown without chemical fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides on pure pastureland.

Grafted Trees

graft

Grafting is the process of taking cuttings from a single “parent” tree known for its fruit taste, size, bloom period and ripening time, and joining it with the root system and trunk base (rootstock) of another tree also known for its desirable qualities. This process has been used for thousands of years to produce fruit that is consistent in flavor, shape and size.

Most of our trees are grafted, creating this kind of consistency and allowing us to produce different mature tree sizes. While seed-grown fruit trees might give you unpredictable variations or a lack of results, grafted trees will give you the fruit you want and the tree size you expect.

Stark® Custom Graft® Trees

Limited space doesn’t have to mean a limited selection of fruit. Stark® Custom Graft® fruit trees have two (or more) varieties carefully grafted onto one tree. These multi-grafted fruit trees require less space to grow than separate trees, and also provide compatible pollinators — built right in! To ensure success growing multiple varieties on your Stark® Custom Graft® fruit trees, be sure to prune to keep all varieties in balance.

Other Terminology

Professional Pruning

Pruning is one of the most important ways to help ensure that your tree gets off to the right start and has the best chance for success. That’s why Stark Bro’s professionals prune many of our fruit trees before shipment — at no cost to you!

We get you started, but you will need to prune throughout the life of your tree. Doing so will help eliminate extra buds that can slow development and allow your tree to form a strong framework by removing weak, narrow and competing branches. Proper pruning will give your tree the perfect shape and branching structure for maximum fruit production.

Self-pollinating

Indicates tree or plant will pollinate itself and doesn’t need another tree or plant near it in order to bear fruit. In many cases, you may still want to plant pollinating partners to increase the size of your crops, but with self-pollinating varieties doing so is optional. You’ll get fruit with only one tree!

Starkspur®

A Stark patented product since 1952! “Spurs” mean bigger harvests! Starkspur® trees are different from regular trees which bear fruit only on the outside limbs. The spur allows fruit to form on each limb and bear from the trunk out – doubling the amount of fruit.

Stark® Colonnade®

Grow full-sized fruit on narrow columnar-shaped trees. Perfect for growing fruit on a balcony, patio, or sliver of ground – even if you live in an apartment or condo. They make a particularly impressive “living fence” when planted in a row – consider using them to disguise eyesores on your property and grow fruit at the same time!

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