Arkansas Black Apple Tree Live Plant 4-5 Ft Tall – Sweet, Dark Red Fruit

Overview

Bring the joy of homegrown fruit to your garden with this magnificent Arkansas Black Apple Tree live plant. Renowned for its unique, dark red, almost black skin and crisp, sweet-tart flesh, the Arkansas Black apple is a true connoisseur’s fruit, perfect for eating fresh, baking, or making cider. This vigorous, disease-resistant variety is a fantastic choice for home gardeners looking for a reliable and productive apple tree. Arriving at a robust 4-5 feet tall, this live plant is ready to establish quickly in your landscape, promising years of delicious harvests. Its beautiful spring blossoms also add ornamental value to any garden space before giving way to the striking sweet apple fruits.

The Arkansas Black is a classic American apple, celebrated for its exceptional storage qualities and rich flavor that often improves with time. Originating in Arkansas in the 19th century, it has stood the test of time, proving its hardiness and adaptability across various climates. Plant this cold hardy apple tree and look forward to a rewarding growing experience, culminating in a harvest of truly distinctive apples that will be the envy of your neighborhood.

Key Benefits

Investing in an Arkansas Black Apple Tree offers a multitude of benefits, from its aesthetic appeal to its delicious yield:

• Exceptional Fruit Quality: Produces distinctive, dark red to nearly black apples with a firm, sweet-tart flesh, perfect for fresh eating, pies, and cider. These sweet apple fruits are known for their superb flavor and excellent keeping qualities.
• Hardy and Adaptable: This variety is known for its resilience and ability to thrive in a wide range of climates, making it a reliable choice for many gardeners. It’s a truly cold hardy apple tree.
• Disease Resistant: The Arkansas Black is naturally resistant to many common apple diseases, reducing the need for extensive chemical treatments and simplifying apple tree care.
• Ornamental Value: Beyond its fruit, the tree offers beautiful, fragrant white-pink blossoms in spring, adding significant visual appeal to your garden or orchard.
• Long Storage Life: Arkansas Black apples are famous for their ability to store well for several months, allowing you to enjoy your harvest long after picking.
• Homegrown Goodness: Enjoy the satisfaction of harvesting your own fresh, organic apples, free from pesticides and picked at their peak ripeness.
• Pollinator Friendly: The fragrant spring blooms attract bees and other beneficial pollinators to your garden, supporting local ecosystems.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Successful apple tree care begins with proper planting and consistent attention. Your Arkansas Black Apple Tree live plant thrives in full sun, requiring at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily for optimal fruit production. Choose a site with well-drained, fertile soil. Loam soil is ideal, but the tree can adapt to a variety of soil types as long as drainage is good. Before planting, amend heavy clay soils with organic matter to improve aeration and drainage, or sandy soils to enhance water retention.

Watering is crucial, especially during the first year after planting. Keep the soil consistently moist but never waterlogged. Deep watering once or twice a week is generally better than frequent shallow watering, encouraging the roots to grow deeper. Once established, the tree will be more drought-tolerant but will still benefit from irrigation during dry spells. The Arkansas Black apple tree is hardy in USDA Zones 3-9, making it suitable for a broad range of climates. It requires a chilling period (number of hours below 45°F/7°C) to produce fruit, so it’s best suited for areas with distinct winters.

Fertilize your young apple tree in early spring before new growth begins, using a balanced slow-release fertilizer or an organic compost. Avoid over-fertilizing, which can promote leafy growth at the expense of fruit production. Pruning should be done in late winter or early spring while the tree is dormant. Focus on removing dead, damaged, or crossing branches, and shaping the tree to allow for good air circulation and sunlight penetration to all parts of the canopy. This helps with disease prevention and encourages better fruit development. For successful growing apple trees, remember that Arkansas Black is not self-pollinating, so you’ll need another apple variety nearby (like Golden Delicious or Gala) for cross-pollination and fruit set.

Size & Details

This Arkansas Black Apple Tree live plant measures approximately 4-5 feet tall upon arrival, providing a significant head start for your home orchard. It is typically shipped as a bare root or potted plant, depending on the season, ensuring it arrives in optimal condition for planting. The tree has an expected mature height of around 15-20 feet with a similar spread, forming a beautiful, rounded canopy. Its growth rate is moderate, allowing it to establish well and begin producing fruit within 3-5 years under ideal conditions. The medium-sized apples are deep dark red, almost black, and are ready for harvest in late fall, usually October to November, and are excellent for long-term storage.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this plant get? A: The Arkansas Black Apple Tree live plant typically grows to a mature height of 15-20 feet with a similar spread, forming a lovely, rounded canopy.
• Q: What size pot does it come in? A: The tree is shipped at 4-5 feet tall, either as a bare root plant or in a nursery container, ready for planting directly into your garden.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: This is an outdoor plant, specifically an orchard tree, requiring full sun and suitable for garden planting to produce sweet apple fruits.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: The Arkansas Black Apple Tree requires full sun, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day for optimal growth and fruit production.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: With proper planting and consistent initial care, growing apple trees like the Arkansas Black is moderately easy. Its disease resistance simplifies long-term maintenance.
• Q: What condition will it arrive in? A: Your Arkansas Black Apple Tree live plant will arrive well-packaged and in healthy condition, ready for immediate planting.
• Q: Is it shipped in soil? A: Depending on the season, it may be shipped as a bare root plant or in a small nursery pot with some soil to protect the roots.
• Q: Can I use Arkansas Black apples in cooking? A: Absolutely! These apples are excellent for baking, making pies, applesauce, and cider due to their firm texture and rich flavor.
• Q: When is the best time to plant? A: The best time for planting apple trees is usually in early spring or late fall when the tree is dormant.
• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: This cold hardy apple tree is suitable for USDA Hardiness Zones 3-9, meaning it can withstand cold winters within this range.