Esopus Spitzenburg Apple
Pollination & Compatibility Guide
Esopus Spitzenburg apple pollination guide: diploid, bloom group 3, scab and fire blight susceptible. Partners, descendants and management notes.
Esopus Spitzenburg is Self-Sterile (Needs 1 Partner)
Esopus Spitzenburg needs at least one compatible pollinizer from bloom group 2–4 to set a reliable crop.
- Chromosome Ploidy
- self sterile
- Required Companions
- 1 Diploid Partner
- Bloom Group
- Group 3 (Mid-Spring)
- Harvest Timing
- Late (-5d from Golden Delicious)
Flowering Period & Overlap Window
Apple flowering periods are classified into numbered bloom groups (1 through 6). A variety reliably cross-pollinates with cultivars in its own group or adjacent groups (±1 group).
Any compatible diploid apple flowering within Group 2 to 4 provides matching blossom overlap.
Compatible Pollination Partners (87)
| Cultivar | Bloom Group | Overlap Type | Harvest | Primary Uses | Interactive Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late Concurrent (±0d) | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
Connell Red | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late ±5d delta | All-Purpose | Test Cross |
Crimson Gold | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late ±5d delta | All-Purpose | Test Cross |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid ±5d delta | Cider, Cooking | Test Cross | |
Honeygold | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid ±5d delta | All-Purpose | Test Cross |
Hudson's Golden Gem | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late ±5d delta | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
Keepsake | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late ±5d delta | Storage, All-Purpose | Test Cross |
Kidd's Orange Red | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid ±5d delta | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
King David | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late ±5d delta | Cider, Cooking | Test Cross |
Northwest Greening | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late ±5d delta | Cooking | Test Cross |
Peck's Pleasant | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid ±5d delta | All-Purpose | Test Cross |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late ±5d delta | All-Purpose, Storage | Test Cross | |
Regent | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late ±5d delta | All-Purpose | Test Cross |
Suncrisp | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late ±5d delta | All-Purpose | Test Cross |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late ±5d delta | Fresh Eating, Cider | Test Cross |
Incompatible Varieties & Exclusions (19)
These varieties overlap in flowering time with Esopus Spitzenburg but cannot fertilise it due to sterile pollen (triploids) or shared genetic incompatibility alleles.
Arkansas Black produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Ashmead's Kernel produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Baldwin produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Belle de Boskoop produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Blenheim Orange produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Bramley's Seedling produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Fall Pippin produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Gravenstein produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Jonagold produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
A direct parent (Esopus Spitzenburg × unknown) — roughly half the pollen is non-functional, so it is not a reliable partner.
Karmijn de Sonnaville produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Mutsu (Crispin) produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Orleans Reinette produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Ribston Pippin produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Roxbury Russet produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Spigold produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Stayman Winesap produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
A direct parent (Esopus Spitzenburg × unknown (Esopus Spitzenburg contributed the unreduced 2n gamete)) — roughly half the pollen is non-functional, so it is not a reliable partner.
Zabergau Reinette produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Grower Commentary: Esopus Spitzenburg Disease Pressure and Heritage Flavour
Esopus Spitzenburg is a diploid, self-sterile American heritage apple from the Hudson Valley, flowering in bloom group 3 with viable pollen. Pair it with other mid-season diploids. Several named cultivars descend from it, including Tompkins King, so the compatibility list here sets those relatives aside rather than offering them as ordinary partners.
Harvest comes about five days before Golden Delicious in maritime north-west European conditions, and the apple is used for dessert and cooking. The flavour is rich, spicy and sharp, which is why it keeps a following among heritage growers, although yields and fruit size are modest.
The catalogue lists susceptibility to both scab and fire blight, which is the real cost of growing it. Open the canopy, avoid excess nitrogen, cut out blight strikes early and plan a scab programme before the first season. This is a variety for farm gate and specialist customers rather than for a low-input block.
Key Orchard Considerations for Esopus Spitzenburg
Use a vigour-matched rootstock and avoid soft growth that invites fire blight.
Both are listed; protect the tree through bloom and scout through early summer.
Rich flavour but modest crops; sell direct to customers who value heritage fruit.
Take Esopus Spitzenburg from Planning to Planting
Use Kropigo's free browser tools to model your block density, tree counts, and pollinizer rows, then maintain permanent orchard records row by row.
Pollination Checker
Check Esopus Spitzenburg against supported cultivars with compatible flowering and pollination data.
Commercial Block Planner
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Block Record Keeping
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