Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Anna Apple
Anna Apple is a low-chill apple bred for warm winters, and it bears heavy crops of sweet, crisp apples in the low desert. It needs only about 200 chill hours, well under what the Valley gets most winters. White spring flowers are followed by yellow-green apples with a red blush, ready in early summer. It sets fruit on its own and bears even more with a Golden Dorsett nearby.
Best for: growing your own apples in the low desert, a backyard fruit tree with spring flowers, and pairing with Golden Dorsett for a bigger crop.
Anna needs only about 200 chill hours, and most of the Valley gets 300 to 400 in a normal winter. That is why it bears heavy crops of sweet, crisp apples here. Pick them in early summer, before the worst of the heat.
Anna sets fruit on its own, but it bears more with a second low-chill apple nearby. Golden Dorsett blooms at the same time and is the usual partner. Plant them in the same yard so bees can carry pollen between them.
White flowers cover the bare branches in spring before the leaves fill in. The tree grows about 15 to 20 feet tall and wide if left unpruned. Most people prune it lower so the fruit is easy to reach.
Hot afternoon sun can scorch young trees and the fruit, so a spot with some afternoon protection helps. Too much water in spring can yellow the leaves and rot the roots. Birds find ripe apples first.
- Semi-dwarf trees12-15 ft apart, center to center
- Standard trees18-20 ft apart, center to center
Water a new tree often while it roots in. Once it is established, soak the root zone 18 inches to 3 feet deep about every 1 to 2 weeks while it grows. In winter, water about once a month.
Prune in late winter while the tree is dormant, before the buds break. Take out crossing, dead and inward branches to keep the tree open.
Young apple trees do best with some protection from hot afternoon sun, which can also scorch the fruit. Paint the trunk with white tree paint to prevent sunburn.
Feed in early spring as the tree wakes up, again in May before the heat, and again in September.
Anna sets fruit on its own, but it bears more with a Golden Dorsett planted nearby. Birds find ripe fruit first, so cover the tree with netting or bag the fruit before it ripens.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
Will Anna apple grow in Phoenix?
Yes. Anna is one of the few apples that bears well in the low desert. It needs only about 200 chill hours, and most of the Valley gets 300 to 400 in a normal winter.
Does Anna apple need a pollinator?
It sets fruit on its own, but it bears more with a partner. Plant a Golden Dorsett or another low-chill apple nearby for a bigger crop.
When are Anna apples ready to pick?
In the Valley they ripen in early summer, usually in June. Pick them before the hottest part of summer.
How big does an Anna apple tree get?
Left alone it grows about 15 to 20 feet tall and wide. Prune it each winter to keep it lower and easier to pick.
How often should I water it?
Water a new tree often while it roots in. Once established, soak it 18 inches to 3 feet deep about every 1 to 2 weeks while it grows, and about monthly in winter.
When should I prune it?
Prune in late winter while the tree is bare, before the buds break. Remove crossing, dead and inward branches.
Does it need afternoon shade?
Young trees do best with some protection from hot afternoon sun, which can also scorch the fruit. Give it full morning sun and some afternoon relief if you can.
Why paint the trunk white?
White tree paint keeps the bark from sunburning in the summer sun. Paint the trunk when you plant and touch it up as it grows.
How long do Anna apples keep?
They keep about two months in the refrigerator. Eat the rest fresh or cook with them.
Why are the leaves turning yellow in spring?
Too much water in spring can yellow the leaves and rot the roots. Water deeply, then let the top of the soil dry before watering again.
Anna Apple for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Anna Apple is one of the few apples bred to fruit where winters are mild, and it is a proven choice for the low desert. Below: chill hours, pollination, harvest time, watering, pruning and sun.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
Can you grow apples in Phoenix?
Yes, with a low-chill variety. Anna needs only about 200 chill hours, and it bears heavy crops of sweet apples in the low desert.
Anna apple chill hours
Anna needs about 200 chill hours. Most of the Valley gets 300 to 400 hours in a normal winter, so it fruits reliably here.
Anna and Golden Dorsett apples
Anna sets fruit alone, but Golden Dorsett blooms at the same time and helps it bear more. Many Valley yards plant the two together.
When to pick Anna apples in Arizona
Anna apples ripen in early summer, usually June in the Valley. They keep about two months in the refrigerator.
Watering an apple tree in the desert
Soak the root zone 18 inches to 3 feet deep about every 1 to 2 weeks while the tree grows. Water about once a month in winter.
Pruning Anna apple trees
Prune in late winter while the tree is bare, before the buds break. Keep the tree open and low enough to pick.
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