Apple (Malus) Red Devil MM106

Bred by Hugh Ermen in Kent from 'Discovery' and named after the famous parachute display team, 'Red Devil' is a striking apple with scarlet skin, pink-stained flesh, and even pink juice — a lovely talking point as much as an eating apple. Grafted onto the semi-vigorous MM106 rootstock, it makes a robust, well-anchored tree reaching around 4m in height and spread, suited to larger gardens or orchards.

Pink and white blossom appears in spring, followed by sweet, rounded, bright red fruit with distinctive red-stained flesh and a hint of strawberry in the flavour. Harvest from September into October, though the fruit is best enjoyed fresh, keeping for only a couple of weeks.

'Red Devil' is self-fertile, so it will crop well alone — a real plus for a smaller garden or a single specimen tree — though a pollination partner in the same period (Group 3) can still improve yields. MM106 tolerates a wide range of soils and generally doesn't need permanent staking once established, though it takes a little longer to come into fruit than more dwarfing rootstocks — usually 4–5 years.

Plant in full sun or partial shade 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.