Pollinator for Court Pendu Plat

You might find that there's still enough pollen dust in bee nests from early- and mid-flowering varieties that they transfer some to your tree.

I think it's tricky trying to choose a pollinator from the later flowering groups because I have a suspicion that a large proportion of late-flowering varieties - including many listed as 'self-fertile' - also happen to be triploid (but which have never been genetically tested to prove it).

If a variety is planted in a more shaded and/or damper spot, it is slower to come out of dormancy, therefore will usually be one or two flowering groups later than a tree nearby in a sunnier position and lighter (warmer) soil.
Obviously with late-ripening fruits they might not get enough sun with a late start and more shade, but with early- or mid-season ripening fruits (especially cookers) they will usually get enough sun, but will ripen later.
If you happen to like a certain summer or early-autumn variety with a short shelf-life (e.g. Irish Peach, Grenadier, Worcester Pearmain), planting one in your sunniest spot and one in a shadier spot will mean one tree will ripen a week or two before the other and extend your season.

I've also found that the rootstock seems to regularly nudge the blossom time -
MM106: usually brings forward flowering by one or two groups.
M25, MM111: often brings forward flowering by one group.
M27, M9, M26: usually flowers at the stated time.

Keepers only list six pollinators of which I only recognise one variety.

Api Rose (Dessert)
Brown Snout (Cider)
Crawley Beauty (Dual Cul & Des )
King's Acre Bountiful (Culinary)
Lodgemore Nonpareil (Dessert)
Stoke Red (Cider)

Keepers Nursery UK | Fruit trees for sale | Buy Online | Mail order

Brogdale will grow you a tree to order, which I think is fantastic.

Orange Pippin's list has a few more, but I bow to FB's much more extensive knowledge than mine:

Pollination of Court Pendu Plat apple trees

Your Court Pendu Plat apple tree is in flowering group 6. It is self-sterile and needs a pollination partner nearby. The following varieties will pollinate this apple tree. (Most crab-apples will also be good pollinators for this variety).
Pollination partner apple varieties in our catalogue

Dabinett is a traditional English cider apple variety, producing a bittersweet juice.
Flowering group: 6 Self-fertile Picking season: Late season Stock: Available

Edward VII A trouble-free traditional English cooker, naturally disease-resistant.
Flowering group: 6 Self-sterile Picking season: Stock: Available

Golden Noble A traditional English cooker, popular in Victorian times, and an attractive tree for the garden.
Flowering group: 5 Self-sterile Picking season: Mid-Late season Stock: Sold out

Herefordshire RedstreakHerefordshire Redstreak is an old English cider apple variety which produces a bittersweet juice.
Flowering group: 5 Self-sterile Picking season: Very-Late season Stock: Available

Kingston BlackKingston Black is one of the premier English cider varieties and produces a bittersharp juice.
Flowering group: 5 Self-sterile Picking season: Very-Late season Stock: Available

Malus Comtesse de ParisThe recommended yellow-fruited crab-apple.
Flowering group: 5 Self-fertile Picking season: Very-Late season Stock: Available

Malus Golden Hornet has pink / white blossom then small yellow crab apples which hang on late in the year.
Flowering group: 5 Self-fertile Picking season: Very-Late season Stock: Available

Stoke Red A traditional English cider apple producing a bittersharp juice.
Flowering group: 6 Self-sterile Picking season: Very-Late season Stock: Sold out

Other compatible varieties
We do not sell these varieties but they may be available from other fruit tree nurseries. Use our enquiry form and we will help you find a supplier.

Bess Pool
Late keeping eating apple. Flesh rather dry with sweet pleasant flavor.

Britemac
Good McIntosh type. Large and attractive, brightly colored and the best for eating. Sweet, juicy, crisp, white flesh.

Brown's Seedling
An English culinary variety from Stamford. Rated by Hogg as handsome, excellent for culinary use, and a good keeper.

Cottenham Seedling
A well-regarded early 20th century cooking apple from the east of England with a good pedigree.

Crawley Beauty
Primarily a culinary variety, cooks to a puree with a delicate apple flavour - but can be eaten fresh after storing. Good disease resistance and tolerates a wide range of soil types.

Decio Probably the oldest variety in existence, thought to date back to Roman times

Forfar Versatile cooker, recommended for apple charlotte

Jonalicious
The perfect combination of sugar and spice - taste of Red Delicious and the tart freshness of Jonathan. A crisp texture makes it ideal for eating, cooking or fresh eating. Keeps extremely well. 2½ to 3 inch fruit is bright red with yellow under color.

King Charles Pearmain
An attractive 19th century pearmain-shaped apple with a dull golden yellow skin. The flesh is firm, fairly juicy, and strongly flavoured.

Maclean's Favourite
A high quality late-season dessert apple with a rich sweet-sharp flavour. The tree is a heavy cropper but can be disease-prone.

Mollie's Delicious
A very good to excellent early apple ripening. Fruits are large to very large, conical in shape with a pinkish red color. Has an exceptionally pleasing aftertaste. This quality can be maintained in storage for at least 10 weeks under refrigeration.

Northern Spy a popular late-season American heirloom apple variety which stores well.

Ozark Gold Very similar to Golden Delicious. Flavor is sweet, honeyed, very juicy with little acidity.

Red Rome A redder-colored sport of Rome Beauty.

Rome Beauty An extremely attractive and productive red cooking apple, widely-grown in North America.

In my orchard, Court Pendu Plat is still a way off flowering, but only a bit more advanced is Red Melba, a lovely early dessert apple. I think a lot of my other late varieties are cider apples or triploids - Peasgood Nonsuch, Dabinett, Coat Jersey, Orleans Reinette, Newton Wonder. I've been impressed by Red Windsor, the first tree in the orchard to blossom and still with a lot of unopened buds but I don't know if it'll still be in flower when CPP comes out.

It's probably worth mentioning that yours and my definition of triploid probably covers a much wider range of varieties than 'the books' currently list as triploid.
Only a few years ago even Ashmead's Kernel was considered to be diploid, until scientific analysis proved it was triploid, along with numerous other varieties.


We've covered it before, but for newcomers reading, here's a checklist to possibly identify a triploid:

1. Large leaves.
2. Rounded leaves.
3. Thick leaves.
4. Dark leaves.
5. Large flowers.
6. Large tree (when mature - but growth rate may be only average)
7. No pips in the fruit, or very few pips, of deformed pips.
8. Bizarre shape of the core when apples are cut in both directions.
9. Strong disease resistance and/or ability to remain alive despite bearing the scars of severe injuries and canker attacks.
11. Tolerance of poor conditions and neglect - often the last survivors in an old orchard.