A narrow mature crown
The mature form reaches about 3m in height and 1.5m in spread, a proportion suited to smaller gardens.
Malus purpurea Appletini® ‘Gulliver’ 27cm
Normal price
€40,00
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Shipping within Greece only. This product cannot be shipped to your selected country.
Malus purpurea Appletini® ‘Gulliver’ 27cm
Normal price
€40,00
Shipping within Greece only. This product cannot be shipped to your selected country.
Malus purpurea Appletini® ‘Gulliver’
A sweet explosion the size of a ping-pong ball 🍬
- Pink spring blossom
- Edible small red apples
- Sun · garden or large container
- Mature form about 3 × 1.5m
Malus purpurea Appletini® ‘Gulliver’ brings together two small garden pleasures: pink spring blossom and the moment a ripe red apple is picked straight from a branch. Its fruits change from deep magenta to bright red, standing out beautifully among green leaves. Their sweet flavour makes them more than a seasonal decoration. This is a tree to enjoy with both your eyes and your taste buds, with something different to anticipate as the season changes.
The upright crown gives height and rhythm to an entrance or border, while the visible trunk leaves room for lower planting around its base. In a courtyard, it can become the seasonal focal point around which the rest of the composition is arranged. Spring brings a soft layer of blossom; autumn adds sharper, brighter accents of fruit.
What makes it special
Appletini combines a narrow architecture, vivid pink blossom and useful small fruit.
Blossom and foliage
Bright pink flowers open over purple-flushed foliage, creating a strong spring contrast.
Red edible apples
Small fruit ripens red and can be used fresh or cooked when fully ripe and washed.
Why you will love it: It provides blossom, vertical structure and genuine fruit without taking the width of a conventional apple tree.
In the garden & on the terracePositioning & plant combinationsFull sun, open air and about 3 × 1.5m for the mature crown.
Ideal position
Plant it in full sun with good air movement and fertile free-draining soil. Allow about 1.5m of clear width, protect the base from damage and stake the young trunk only until it is securely rooted.
Compatible combinations
Low companions repeat pink and purple tones without hiding the trunk or obstructing harvest.
- Nepeta × faassenii — A soft blue edge highlights the apple's pink blossom and stays low.
- Geranium ‘Rozanne’ — Long blue flowering fills the sunny base without competing with the narrow crown.
- Allium ‘Millenium’ — Compact purple globes continue the colour after the apple's spring blossom.
Care at a glance
Light
Full sun for abundant blossom and good fruit colour.
Water
Deep watering during establishment and prolonged drought.
Climate & hardiness
Hardy to about −30°C.
Safety
Eat only ripe, washed apples. Do not eat the seeds, leaves or branches.
Detailed careComplete care guideSoil, watering, support, feeding and cultivar-specific prevention.
Soil
Use deep fertile soil that holds even moisture yet drains freely. Avoid compaction and persistent water around the roots.
Watering
Water deeply through the first summer and whenever drought coincides with flowering or fruit swelling. Avoid daily surface sprinkling.
Support
Tie the young central leader to one stake with a flexible tie. Loosen and remove support once the roots hold the tree securely.
Feeding
Apply mature compost in spring. Excess nitrogen creates long shoots and reduces the balance between blossom and framework.
Container care
Use a large heavy container with generous drainage holes. Refresh the top layer of compost each spring and check watering and support more often.
Prevention
Remove shrivelled fruit and fallen leaves, keep the crown well lit and inspect young shoots for aphids.
From flower to basketFruiting & harvestSimple guidance on pollination, ripening, picking and protecting the crop.
Pollination
It is self-pollinating and can fruit as a single tree. Another apple flowering at the same time can increase fruit set.
When it ripens
Small apples colour to deep red in late summer and autumn, depending on sun and climate.
How to harvest
Cup the apple in your palm, lift and twist gently. Ripe fruit releases easily without tearing the small fruiting branch.
Use and display
Taste one fully red washed fruit before harvesting the rest. Small apples also suit cooking, while those left on the crown retain ornamental value.
After planting: support the central leader, water deeply and let the short side branches build the narrow crown.
Clear pruning planHow to prune this fruiting plantLate winter for training · light summer thinning only where needed
When to prune
Late winter for training · light summer thinning only where needed
‘Gulliver’ has a naturally narrow upright habit. Keep one clear central leader and short well-lit branches that carry blossom and apples, without clipping every tip.
01
Build
Young tree
Action: Keep one straight central leader and 3–5 small side shoots with open angles. Remove only broken wood and a competing upright leader.
Retain: Retain healthy length that builds the narrow framework.
02
Train
Formed crown
Action: In late winter remove a branch that rubs or grows towards the stem. Shorten one over-vigorous side shoot above a smaller outward-facing branch.
Retain: Keep the short fruiting branches and one continuous central leader.
03
Renew
Mature Appletini®
Action: Renew only one old or bare side branch at a time and remove selected strongly upright shoots in summer.
Retain: Keep the narrow outline, most short fruiting branches and a few slender young branches for gradual renewal.
New / productive — retainOld or exhausted woodCut point
Clean tools
Use sharp, clean tools suited to the diameter of the wood.
After fruit set
Remove only a strongly upright shoot blocking light. Do not strip out short fruit-bearing side shoots.
Do not do this: Do not top the central leader every year or clip the crown like a hedge; this spoils the natural narrow habit and removes many short fruiting branches.
Development over timeHow the plant developsA realistic path from establishment to mature form.
Central axis
The young leader rises upright and forms short side shoots around the stem.
Short flowering branches
Stable short side shoots fill with pink blossom and later with small red fruit.
Narrow maturity
The mature crown retains a vertical silhouette without becoming heavy or excessively wide.
Mature habit & dimensions
Maturity about 5–10 yearsHeight 3mSpread 1.5mNarrow upright small tree
Mature Appletini retains one clear central axis, slender side shoots and densely spaced short fruiting branches.
Form through the seasons
Pink blossom · red autumn applesNarrow crownSelf-pollinatingTo −30°C
SpringPink blossom opens along short side shoots among purple-flushed foliage.
AutumnSmall glossy red apples are held around the narrow upright crown.
After leaf fall, the clear central axis and many short fruiting branches are visible and should not be clipped away.
What to expect after planting: The young leader rises upright and forms short side shoots around the stem.
History & originCultivar originFrom the French Hennebelle nursery to Plantarium in 2018
In Boubers-sur-Canche, France, Pépinières JP Hennebelle created ‘Gulliver’, an apple selection combining spring blossom, small flavoursome fruit and upright growth. Its parents and the precise year of the original selection have not been published; the distinctive result was what carried it beyond the nursery.
In 2018, Dutch nursery Van Son & Koot presented it at Plantarium under the trade name Appletini®, with Plantipp managing its international introduction. The French selection gained a wider European presence, recognised for the pairing of pink flowers and small red apples.
This journey was accompanied by European plant variety protection 62374.
Greenleaf for Plant NerdsScientific details nobody asked forBotanical detail behind the plant's appearance and behaviour
Short fruiting shoots
Many flowers and apples develop on short shoots that make little extension growth each year. These fruiting structures remain on older wood and can continue producing for more than one season.
What makes apple flesh?
Much of the flesh develops from the hypanthium, the floral tissue surrounding the ovary. The ovary itself mainly forms the inner core around the seeds: botanically, an apple is an accessory fruit known as a pome.
Frequently asked questions
Six practical answers for choosing, growing, harvesting and pruning this exact cultivar.
01Does it need another apple tree?
No. It is self-pollinating, while a compatible apple nearby can increase fruit set.
02Are the apples edible?
Yes, fully ripe washed fruit is edible and can be used fresh or cooked.
03How large does it become?
About 3m high and 1.5m wide, with a naturally narrow upright crown.
04Can it remain in a container?
Yes, in a large heavy container with free drainage, deep watering and firm support.
05When does the fruit ripen?
It colours in late summer and autumn; pick when it releases easily with a lift and gentle twist.
06When should it be pruned?
Train in late winter and prune only lightly in summer, protecting the central axis and short fruiting branches.
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