Columnar Apple Trees: Perfect for Small Spaces

Grow Full-Size Apples in a Narrow Footprint

Colonnade apples, introduced in the mid-'90s, grow upright and narrow—fruit forms on short spurs along the main trunk, not horizontal branches. They fit easily along fences, decks, side yards, or in containers on a sunny porch.

Varieties and Sources

Scab-resistant Canadian varieties (One Green World): 'Golden Sentinel' (yellow, sweet), 'Northpole' (crisp, McIntosh-type), 'Scarlet Sentinel' (large, sweet, red blush). Trees 10–12 ft tall, 3 ft wide.

English varieties (Stark Brothers, Monrovia): 'Crimson Spire', 'Emerald Spire', 'Scarlet Spire', 'Ultra Spire'. Trees ~8 ft tall, 2 ft wide.

Care and Harvest

Water regularly, fertilize 2–3 times yearly (more for containers). Summer prune only to shape and cut wayward growth back to three leaves. Pick apples in September when ripe.