Fruit Tree
Dorsett Golden Apple
Malus domestica 'Dorsett Golden' · Rosaceae
Also called: Dorsett Golden Low-Chill Apple
Dorsett Golden Apple (Malus domestica 'Dorsett Golden') is a moderate-water fruit tree well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It thrives in full sun, 6-8+ hours. Expect white to pale pink blooms Very early bloom.
Dorsett Golden Apple at a glance
- Water use
- Moderate (established)
- Sun
- Full sun, 6-8+ hours. As with 'Anna', protect the trunk and fruit from Tucson sunburn with afternoon shade and trunk whitewash/shade cloth.
- Mature size
- 12-15 ft tall and wide on standard roots; commonly kept 8-12 ft, smaller on dwarfing rootstock.
- Growth rate
- Moderate; precocious and productive.
- Bloom
- White to pale pink, Very early bloom (Feb-Mar), overlapping 'Anna'; early harvest June-July, sometimes a lighter second crop in late summer. Sweet, firm yellow-gold apple.
- Cold hardiness
- Deciduous and fully cold-hardy in Tucson (USDA 9a-9b); selected for warmth/low chill, so cold is not the limiting factor. Early bloom can occasionally be caught by a late frost.
- Soil
- Deep, well-drained loam preferred; tolerates Tucson's alkaline soil when amended with compost and well drained. Avoid soggy soil.
- Native range
- Cultivar discovered in the Bahamas (seedling of 'Golden Delicious'). Bred/selected for very warm, low-chill climates. Not native to Arizona.
- Best used as
- Fresh eating, Cooking/baking, Pollenizer for 'Anna' and other early apples, Low-chill backyard orchard, Edible landscape
- Wildlife
- Early blossoms feed bees; ripe fruit attracts birds.
- Toxicity
- Fruit edible. Seeds, leaves and bark contain cyanogenic compounds and are toxic to pets/livestock in quantity; the flesh is safe to eat.
How to grow Dorsett Golden Apple in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Deep, regular irrigation through bloom and fruiting: about every 5-7 days in summer, less in spring/fall, monthly in winter dormancy. Keep moisture even and mulch the root zone; apples need more consistent water than desert-adapted fruits.
Fertilizer & nutrients
Apply nitrogen or a balanced fruit-tree fertilizer in late winter/early spring, with an optional light second feeding after fruit set. Avoid heavy late nitrogen. Correct alkaline-soil iron chlorosis with chelated iron as needed.
Pruning & care
Winter-dormant pruning to an open center or modified central leader; keep short for easy picking and heat protection. Thin young fruit in spring for better size and to prevent limb breakage.
Notes
Thought to be the lowest-chill apple in cultivation (under ~100 chill hours), making it ideal for Tucson's mild winters. Self-fruitful and an excellent simultaneous-blooming pollenizer for 'Anna' - planting the two together maximizes both crops. Plant bare-root in winter or container in fall.
Sources: University of Arizona Cooperative Extension / Pima County Master Gardeners - deciduous fruit for the low desert; Dave Wilson Nursery - low-chill apple variety recommendations (Tom's Picks, Southwest); Growing in the Garden - How to Grow Apples in Arizona (low desert)