Description
This 3-tier espaliered apple tree showcases three outstanding modern apple varieties—Chehalis, Sunrise Magic, and Cosmic Crisp—trained across horizontal tiers for maximum sunlight, airflow, and fruit quality. Designed for small gardens, narrow spaces, or decorative plantings, this espalier combines high productivity with striking architecture. Each tier produces uniquely flavored apples: Chehalis brings large, yellow-green, mildly sweet apples that are juicy and crisp, Sunrise Magic offers balanced sweetness and acidity with exceptional storage life, and Cosmic Crisp provides crisp, juicy, late-season fruit that keeps for months. Together, they create an extended harvest window and a diverse apple experience—all from one compact tree. Grafted onto M-26 dwarfing rootstock, this tree stays compact, highly productive, and easy to train. All three varieties bloom in mid-season and cross-pollinate naturally, making this espalier a self-contained pollination unit.
Overview
- Three premium modern apples on one espaliered tree.
- Chehalis, Sunrise Magic & Cosmic Crisp—exceptional flavor range.
- Beautiful 3-tier structure perfect for fences and tight spaces.
- Dwarfing rootstock keeps size controlled and easy to prune.
- Self-contained pollination among grafted varieties.
- Extended harvest window: early fall through late fall.
Varieties Included
This espalier includes the following three apple varieties:
- Chehalis: large, yellow-green apple with a mild, sweet flavor; juicy, crisp and scab resistant. Ripens mid-September to early October.
- Sunrise Magic — a Washington State University variety prized for its crisp bite, juicy flesh, balanced sweetness, and excellent storage quality; highly resistant to scald and bruising.
- Cosmic Crisp — late-season apple with crisp texture, juicy flesh, and outstanding storage life; naturally slow to brown and great for fresh eating or baking.
Growing Details
Latin Name: Malus domestica
Site and Soil: 1/2 day to full day of sun; well-drained soil
Rootstock: M-26 (dwarfing)
Hardiness: Hardy to USDA Zone 4
Bearing Age: 1–3 years
Size at Maturity: Typically maintained at 6–8 ft tall and 6–10 ft wide when espaliered
Bloom Time: Mid-season across all varieties
Ripening Time: Early fall through late fall, depending on variety
Pollination: Self-contained among grafted varieties
Yield: High yield with proper pruning and training
Pests & Diseases: Standard apple considerations; Cosmic Crisp shows good disease resistance
Additional Notes
- Nerdy fact: Cosmic Crisp was bred using natural selection techniques at Washington State University, combining Honeycrisp’s texture with Enterprise’s disease resistance.
- Espalier improves fruit quality by exposing apples to more sunlight and airflow.
- Dwarfing rootstock makes pruning and harvest simple and accessible.
- Explore more apple varieties in our collection: Apple Trees
