Description
White Icicle™ is built for growers who love a sharp, refreshing apple. Its naturally upright, columnar form stays narrow and vertical, fruiting along the main leader rather than spreading outward—making it easy to grow real apples in spaces where traditional trees don’t fit.
The fruit ripens mid-season with a crisp texture and a distinctly tart, green-apple profile. White Icicle™ is meant to be eaten firm, delivering brightness and bite rather than sweetness, and serving as a clear contrast to dessert-style columnar apples.
Adding to its appeal is a notably pale, almost white interior flesh paired with green skin—an uncommon visual combination that reinforces its clean, refreshing character and explains the name.
Overview
- True columnar apple with fruit borne on short spurs along the main leader
- Exceptionally narrow growth habit suited to small spaces
- Crisp, tart green apples with bright, refreshing flavor
- Mid-season ripening, typically mid-September
- Requires a compatible apple pollination partner
Growing Details
Latin Name: Malus domestica ‘White Icicle™’
Site and Soil: 1/2 day to full day of sun; well-drained soil
Rootstock: 1-gallon trees on M-7; larger sizes on M-106
Hardiness: Hardy to USDA Zone 4
Chill Requirement: Estimated ~700 hours
Bearing Age: 1–3 years
Size at Maturity:
• M-7: Typically 8–10 ft tall with routine pruning
• M-106: Typically 8–10 ft tall with routine pruning
Note: Columnar apples remain narrow by nature; container-grown trees stay smaller and are easily managed with pruning.
Bloom Time: Mid-season
Flowering Group: Group 3 (mid-season)
Ripening Time: Mid-season; typically mid-September (varies by region)
Pollination: Pollination required; plant a compatible apple variety within 20–30 feet
Pests & Diseases: Standard apple pest and disease considerations; good airflow and routine care are important
Additional Notes
- Grower’s Insight: White Icicle™ is chosen specifically for its brightness—an acid-forward columnar apple that delivers crisp, green-apple bite rather than sweetness.
- Regional Insight: Performs well across a wide range of temperate regions, including the Pacific Northwest, where cooler nights help preserve crisp texture and lively acidity.
- Allow fruit to fully mature for the cleanest tart flavor.
- Well suited to in-ground planting, raised beds, and large containers.
- Explore more apples in our collection: Apple Trees
