Apple (Malus) Limelight Patio M27

Bred by Hugh Ermen from 'Discovery' and 'Greensleeves' and holding the RHS Award of Garden Merit, 'Limelight' lives up to its name with vivid, luminous yellow-green fruit that stands out beautifully against dark green foliage. Grafted onto the extremely dwarfing M27 rootstock, it makes a very compact tree reaching only around 1.5–2m in height and spread — perfect for a large patio container or the smallest of gardens.

Pink-tinged blossom appears in spring, followed by mid-season fruit with a sharp, refreshing flavour and crisp, juicy flesh. It ripens successively on the tree from September into early autumn, giving a nicely extended eating season, and keeps for a couple of weeks — with any windfalls making excellent juice.

'Limelight' is not self-fertile, so a pollination partner is essential — choose a variety in the same period (Group 3) or an adjacent group (2 or 4), such as 'Discovery', 'James Grieve', or 'Fiesta'. Because M27 is so dwarfing, trees will need permanent staking and benefit from a little extra care with feeding and watering, especially if grown in a pot, but in return you get an early, manageable cropper ideally suited to patio growing.

Plant in full sun in moist, well-drained soil, and prune each winter to maintain an open, productive shape. As with all apple varieties, the pips contain small amounts of naturally occurring toxins, so they're best removed if the fruit is being used for cooking with children in mind.

Each tree is hand-selected before dispatch. Available from Pengelly Garden Centre.