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Empire Apple (Malus domestica ‘Empire’) is a Cornell-bred McIntosh × Red Delicious cross released in 1966, prized for its deep crimson-red skin, tough bruise-resistant flesh, and sweet-tart flavor that splits the difference between its two parents. It grows in USDA hardiness zones 4-8 and needs roughly 600-800 chill hours, ripening mid-season and requiring cross-pollination from another apple variety to set fruit. Empire’s tough skin and slow-browning flesh make it a favorite for lunchboxes and salads, and it stores far longer under refrigeration than its McIntosh parent, and benefits significantly from cross-pollination with compatible varieties such as Cortland Apple or Liberty Apple to maximize yields.
4-5′ Bare Root Grafted Tree Rootstock: G935 – Dwarf, G890 – Semi Dwarf Can’t be shipped to: AK, HI, MT
Empire traces to a seed sown in 1945 by Cornell University fruit researcher Lester C. Anderson, part of a McIntosh × Red Delicious breeding population harvested under A. J. Heinicke’s direction at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, New York. Over 4,000 sibling seedlings from that cross were grown out and evaluated over two decades; pomologist Dr. Roger Way selected the standout individual, catalogued as NY 45500-5, for commercial release. The New York State Fruit Testing Association introduced it to the public on September 15, 1966, and Way named it Empire after New York’s nickname, the “Empire State.” Cornell released the cultivar without patent restriction, and it spread quickly through New York orchards before expanding into Michigan, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Ontario/Quebec; by the early 2010s it ranked among the top ten apple cultivars grown in the United States. Three later bud-sport mutations discovered on Empire limbs — ‘Teeple Red Empire’ (marketed as Royal Empire, patented 1992), ‘TF808’ (patented 1992), and ‘Crown Empire’/CB515 (patented 2000) — each carry their own US Plant Patents for improved color or earlier ripening, but the original Empire cultivar itself remains public domain and royalty-free.
Empire's chill requirement of roughly 600-800 hours below 45°F sits in the moderate range — lower than late-chill Northern cultivars but high enough that it performs best in cooler climates and struggles with the heat and humidity of the Deep South; growers in zones 4-7 see the most reliable results, with zone 8 as a marginal upper edge. It tolerates a wide range of soil textures — loam, clay, or sand — provided drainage is good and organic matter is adequate, with a pH in the neutral 6.0-7.0 range. Regular moisture (about 1-2 inches per week) through the growing season keeps fruit sizing even and reduces stress that can worsen disease pressure. Empire is a spur-bearing, annual (non-biennial) cropper — unlike tip-bearing cultivars, its fruiting wood renews on two-year-and-older spurs, so annual dormant-season pruning should thin crowded spur clusters and open the canopy for light and airflow rather than preserve shoot tips. Its semi-dwarf stature (12-15 ft on semi-dwarfing rootstock, 8-10 ft on fully dwarfing stock) makes it easier to site and spray thoroughly than full-size standard trees, which matters given its need for a proactive scab and powdery mildew program.
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4-8 Chill Hours: 600-800 Sun Requirements: Full Sun Soil pH: 6.0-7.0 Soil Type: Adaptable; loam, clay, or sandy soils with adequate organic matter Soil Drainage: Well-drained Water Requirements: Regular watering; approximately 1-2 inches per week, especially during fruit development Drought Tolerance: Low to Moderate; established trees tolerate brief dry spells but need consistent moisture for good fruit sizing Heat Tolerance: Low to Moderate; performs best in cooler climates and is less suited to hot, humid summers than Southern-adapted cultivars Plant Spacing: Select a rootstock above for exact spacing information. Container Suitability: Possible with dwarf rootstock in large containers (20+ gallons) How to Prune: Prune annually in late winter dormancy to thin crowded spurs and open the canopy for light and airflow; Empire bears on two-year-and-older spurs, so avoid heavy heading cuts that remove spur wood; remove root suckers and water sprouts as they appear
Empire grows as a dense, upright, rounded tree that becomes vigorous and spreading with age; semi-dwarf trees typically reach 12-15 ft tall with an equal spread, while trees on fully dwarfing rootstock stay closer to 8-10 ft — noticeably more compact than many standard dessert apple cultivars. Foliage is deciduous, simple, and green through the growing season, turning yellow before leaf drop in fall. The root system is fibrous with a moderately deep taproot and wide lateral roots, typical of Malus domestica. Flowers open white with pink-tinged buds and outer petals in mid-spring, in clusters of four to five blooms, drawing bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds; the tree is diploid and not self-fruitful, so it needs a different apple variety blooming nearby to set a crop. Well-sited, well-pruned trees remain productive for decades.
Mature Height: Select a rootstock above for exact size information. Mature Spread: Select a rootstock above for exact spread information. Growth Habit: Upright, dense, and rounded; becomes vigorous and spreading with age Growth Rate: Moderate Foliage Type: Deciduous Food Forest Layer: Canopy Permaculture Role: Sub-canopy/canopy fruit tree; bee and pollinator forage; wildlife food source Leaf Color: Green Fall Foliage Color: Yellow Thorns?: No Attracts Wildlife: Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds (flowers); small mammals and deer (fruit) Life Span: typically productive 40+ years with proper care
Empire is a diploid early-window apple. It is partially self-fertile, but cross-pollination with an overlapping diploid variety is recommended for reliable set.
Bloom Season: Mid Bloom Window: Mid Apr - Late Apr Pollination Requirements: Partially self-fertile; cross-pollination is recommended for reliable fruit set. Pollination Mechanism: Insect-pollinated Flower Color: White, pink-tinged in bud and on outer petals Ploidy: Diploid
Fruit is small to medium by commercial standards — roughly 2.75-3+ inches across and averaging about 140 g (5 oz), though well-grown orchard fruit can run larger — with a slightly lopsided round-to-ovate shape. Skin is deep crimson-red over a green-to-yellow background, tough and waxy enough to resist bruising and shipping damage far better than its McIntosh parent. Flesh is creamy white to cream, firm, crisp, and fine-grained, with a sweet-tart flavor — McIntosh's tang balanced by Red Delicious's sweetness, with a faint aromatic, vinous note. That combination of firm texture and slow enzymatic browning makes Empire a standout for fresh eating, lunchboxes, and salads; it holds up reasonably in baking and sauce but is prized more for fresh use and cider blending than for pie work. Harvest lands mid-season — after early cultivars but well before late-season keepers — and the fruit resists pre-harvest drop, giving growers a flexible picking window. Properly refrigerated fruit holds 3-6 months, and commercial controlled-atmosphere storage can extend quality out to ten months.
Ripening Season: Late Harvest Window: Mid Sep - Late Sep Fruit Size: Small to medium; approximately 2.75-3+ inches in diameter Fruit Weight: Approximately 140 g (5 oz) average; well-grown fruit can run larger Flavor: Sweet-tart; McIntosh-like tang balanced by Red Delicious sweetness, with a mild aromatic, vinous note Fruit Color: Deep crimson-red over a green-to-yellow background Fruit Texture: Firm, crisp, fine-grained, and juicy; creamy white to cream flesh Fruit Skin: Tough and waxy; notably resistant to bruising and shipping damage Bearing Habit: Spur-bearing; consistent annual bearer, not prone to biennial (on-off) cropping Years to Bear: Select a rootstock above for exact bearing information. Yield: Moderate to High; reliable, consistent annual bearer Storage Life: 3-6 months under home refrigeration; up to 10 months in commercial controlled-atmosphere storage Culinary Uses: Fresh eating (primary use), salads and lunchboxes (tough skin and slow-browning flesh hold up well), baking and sauce (secondary), cider blending
Empire inherited real disease vulnerabilities from its McIntosh parent. Apple scab is its most significant weakness — rated susceptible to highly susceptible — so a preventive fungicide program from green tip through the primary infection period, combined with autumn leaf sanitation, is essentially mandatory. Powdery mildew is also a consistent problem, calling for sulfur or potassium bicarbonate sprays timed from green tip through early summer. Black rot (Botryosphaeria obtusa) is a genuine concern as well — cultivar-susceptibility research lists Empire among the cultivars most often infected — so removing mummified fruit and cankered deadwood each winter matters more here than on black-rot-tolerant cultivars. On the brighter side, Empire shows good resistance to fire blight and to cedar apple rust, two diseases that hit many other dessert apples much harder, meaning growers can dial back those specific spray targets and focus resources on scab, mildew, and black rot. For insect pests, Empire faces the same generalist pressure common to nearly all dessert apples — codling moth, plum curculio, apple maggot, and brown marmorated stink bug — and no tier-one source publishes a cultivar-specific resistance rating for Empire against any of the four; growers should rely on standard IPM practice (pheromone trapping, timed sprays, kaolin clay, and exclusion netting or bagging) rather than assume any inherent tolerance.
Apple Scab: Susceptible Fire Blight: Resistant Powdery Mildew: Susceptible Cedar Apple Rust: Resistant Black Rot: Susceptible Codling Moth: Moderately Susceptible Plum Curculio: Moderately Susceptible Apple Maggot: Moderately Susceptible Brown Marmorated Stink Bug: Moderately Susceptible
Lead with the scab program: Empire's biggest disease liability is apple scab — begin protectant fungicide sprays at green tip and keep coverage tight through the primary infection period in wet spring weather.
Rake for black rot too: unlike some newer cultivars, Empire is genuinely susceptible to black rot; remove mummified fruit and prune out cankered or dead wood every winter to cut inoculum before it starts.
Spend less on fire blight and rust: Empire's real strength is good resistance to fire blight and cedar apple rust — shift the spray budget and attention those diseases would otherwise demand toward scab and powdery mildew instead.
Prune the spur system, not the tips: Empire bears on two-year-and-older spurs, not shoot tips — thin crowded spurs and open the canopy annually in late winter rather than heading back one-year wood.
Let the tough skin work for you: Empire's bruise-resistant skin and slow-browning flesh make it the pick for lunchboxes and packed salads — harvest at full color for the best combination of flavor and shelf life.
We ship in late winter or early spring based on your USDA hardiness zone.
We strive to ship orders on the scheduled dates listed in the table below. However, please note that the actual shipping date may be subject to change due to factors like weather conditions and order volume.
The specific date for shipping your order will be determined according to your zipcode at the time of checkout.
Our plants are shipped bare root, packed in moist sawdust, and securely wrapped in plastic to prevent the roots from drying out. We use USPS Ground Advantage for shipping, ensuring that your plants typically arrive within 2-5 days after packaging.
In case you're unable to plant the trees immediately upon arrival, we recommend soaking them in water for a few hours and temporarily heeling them in. Ideally, they should be planted within three days of receipt for optimal health.
Our 365-Day Plant Guarantee: We ensure that our plants are delivered to you alive and healthy. If your plant does not survive its first year, you're eligible for store credit under these conditions:
You maintain the roots' moisture and plant within three days of delivery, following the instructions in our Planting Guide.
If you're concerned about your plant's health, please consult our guide, How to Tell if Your Tree is Dead or Dormant. Remember, our plants are shipped in a dormant state and may leaf out at different times based on their species. To check for plant vital
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