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Golden Noble apple

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Golden Noble

Golden Noble is a well-known English cooking apple, originating in the early 19th century.  It was discovered by the gardener of Sir Thomas Harr of Stowe Hall in Norfolk, who obtained a cutting from a tree in a nearby orchard.  Sir Thomas presented it to the Horticultural Society of London in 1820.  It soon established itself as a popular culinary apple.

Golden Noble remains a popular garden apple in the UK to this day.  It has several excellent qualities and deserves consideration if you are looking for a more interesting alternative to Bramley's Seedling.  It produces attractive blossom, and the tree generally grows in neat and tidy fashion (unlike Bramley) making it a good choice as a feature tree for the garden.  It also bears fruit early in its life.  In the kitchen it cooks down to a puree with, for a cooker, a relatively sweet flavour which holds up well in cooking.

Golden Noble therefore has all the attributes of a good cooking apple - at least in English eyes.  It has not had much success outside the UK, probably because in Europe and North America there is a preference for apples which keep their shape - what the English regard as a puree the Americans see as a mush.

Golden Noble apple identification images

All images copyright Orange Pippin unless otherwise stated.

  • Golden Noble

USDA identification images for Golden Noble

The identification paintings in the USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection span the years 1886 to 1942.

  • USDA watercolor image of Malus domestica: Golden Noble
  • USDA watercolor image of Malus domestica: Golden Noble
  • USDA watercolor image of Malus domestica: Golden Noble

Citation: U.S. Department of Agriculture Pomological Watercolor Collection. Rare and Special Collections, National Agricultural Library, Beltsville, MD 20705.

Offspring of this variety


Visitor reviews

  • 24 Nov 2018  HAMILTON, United Kingdom
    Ideal for our small garden. Cooks quickly to a purée and doesn't need much sugar. A bit prone to scab. I can eat them as a dessert apple, but a bit too sour for the rest of the family. We're 55 degrees north here and it seems to thrive. Bumper year 2018, over 700 apples!
  • 14 Apr 2017  CALIFORNIA, United States
    In Southern California, Golden Noble apples ripen fully in October and are very sweet. The apples grow large and have a yellow skin when ripe. It makes a great eating apple.
  • 26 Nov 2011  WI, United States
    This is a great base apple for cider -- lots of juice, good balance of tartness and sweetness (not so much astringency though), and not too expensive. You get a lot of bang for your resources out of this apple.
  • 17 Jan 2011  CAMBS, United Kingdom
    Totally agree with comments. I also find the apples are excellent for eating, just before they fully ripen. Nice thin skins. I make purees and chutney with them. The late blossoming is an advantage in avoiding frost. My tree is in a dry and windy situation but does really well in spite of this. I prune it to keep it in proportion with the size of my garden. V. attractive to butterflies and bees all season. Above table v. useful.

Tree register

United States

United Kingdom

Spring blossom records for this variety

2014 season

  • 12th May  2014  - tree owned by Mark in Leyburn, United Kingdom

2013 season

  • April  2013  - tree owned by Dave in Santa Barbara, United States

2012 season

  • 25th April  2012  - tree owned by Carole in Peterborough, United Kingdom

2011 season

  • 19th April  2011  - tree owned by Hugh in Stratford-Upon-Avon, United Kingdom

2009 season

  • May  2009  - tree owned by Carole in Peterborough, United Kingdom
  • April  2009  - tree owned by Hugh in Stratford-Upon-Avon, United Kingdom

Record your blossom dates in our Fruit Tree Register - more >>.


Harvest records for this variety

2019 season

  • 3rd week September  2019  - tree owned by Tony in Blandford Forum, United Kingdom

2016 season

  • October  2016  - tree owned by Elaine in Mold, United Kingdom

2013 season

  • October  2013  - tree owned by Dave in Santa Barbara, United States

2011 season

  • 4th week September  2011  - tree owned by Hugh in Stratford-Upon-Avon, United Kingdom
  • 2nd week September  2011  - tree owned by Carole in Peterborough, United Kingdom

2010 season

  • 1st week September  2010  - tree owned by Hugh in Stratford-Upon-Avon, United Kingdom

2009 season

  • October  2009  - tree owned by Carole in Peterborough, United Kingdom
  • 2nd week September  2009  - tree owned by Hugh in Stratford-Upon-Avon, United Kingdom

Origins

  • Species: Malus domestica - Apple
  • Parentage: Unknown
  • Originates from: Norfolk, England, United Kingdom
  • Introduced: 1820
  • UK National Fruit Collection accession: 1974-407

Identification

  • Awards: RHS AGM (current)
  • Country of origin: United Kingdom
  • Period of origin: 1800 - 1849
  • Flower colour: Pink - light
  • Leaf colour: Green
  • Popularity: Rarely grown
  • Annual cycle: Deciduous

Using

  • Picking season: Late
  • Keeping (of fruit): 3 months or more
  • Flavour quality: Very good
  • Flavour style (apples): Sharper
  • Cooking result: Puree
  • Discoloration of fruit: No discoloration (Good for drying)
  • Vitamin C content: High
  • Cropping: Good
  • Food uses: Culinary
  • Food uses: Juice
  • Food uses: Traditional cooker
  • Picking period: early October
  • Wildlife: RHS Plants for Pollinators

Growing

  • Gardening skill: Beginner
  • Flowering group: 5
  • Pollinating others: Average
  • Ploidy: Diploid
  • Precocity: Precocious
  • Bearing regularity: Regular
  • Attractive features: Attractive flowers
  • Attractive features: Attractive tree / plant
  • Longevity: Long-lived
  • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile

Climate

  • Frost resistance of blossom: Susceptible
  • Climate suitability: Temperate climates
  • Climate suitability: Mild damp climates
  • Summer average maximum temperatures: Cool ( 20-24C / 68-75F)
  • Summer average maximum temperatures: Warm (25-30C / 76-85F)
  • Cold hardiness (RHS): H6 (to -20C)

Other qualities

  • Disease resistance: Average
  • Canker: Some resistance
  • Scab (Apple and Pear): Some resistance
  • Powdery mildew: Very susceptible
  • Fire blight: Very susceptible

Where to buy fresh fruit

The following orchards grow Golden Noble:

United States


United Kingdom


Canada


Australia




References

  • Apples of England (1948)
    Author: Taylor
  • Fruit Expert
    Author: Hessayon

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