With its slender shape and compact footprint, this columnar apple tree is perfect for patio containers and small gardens. Golden Sentinel's full-sized apples grow on spurs directly from the tree's main trunk.

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Malus domestica 'Golden Sentinel'

COMMON NAME: Golden Sentinel Columnar Apple

GARDEN SIZE: 8-10 feet tall by 2-3 feet wide

USDA ZONE: 4-9

EXPOSURE: Full Sun

WATER & SOIL: Loamy & well drained soil

HABIT (FORM): Columnar semi-dwarf

FOLIAGE: Deciduous; Green

BLOOM TIME: Mid-season - Flowering Group 3

HARVEST TIME: Mid-season; ripens September-October

FRUIT: Full-size apple, golden with a slight red blush. Sweet and juicy with a McIntosh-like crunch.

USES: Eating fresh, cooking, juice

POLLENIZATION: Needs another compatible apple tree nearby to produce fruit.

POLLENIZATION (Trees that pollenize this one): Colonnade Golden Sentinel, Colonnade Scarlet Sentinel, Crimson Crisp, Fuji, Gala, Ginger Gold, Golden Russet, Golden/Yellow Delicious, Granny Smith, Hardy Cumberland, Honeycrisp, Jonathan, McIntosh, Pink Lady, PREMIER Honeycrisp, Red Delicious, Royal Red Honeycrisp, Sweet Sixteen, Urban Apple 'Blushing Delight', Urban Apple 'Golden Treat', Urban Apple 'Tangy Green', Wolf River

POLLENIZATION (Trees that are pollenized by this one): Arkansas Black, Colonnade Scarlet Sentinel, Crimson Crisp, Fuji, Gala, Ginger Gold, Golden Russet, Golden/Yellow Delicious, Granny Smith, Hardy Cumberland, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Jonathan, Liberty, McIntosh, Pink Lady, PREMIER Honeycrisp, Red Delicious, Royal Red Honeycrisp, Stayman Winesap, Sweet Sixteen, Urban Apple 'Blushing Delight', Urban Apple 'Golden Treat', Urban Apple 'Tangy Green', Winesap, Wolf River

CARE: Prune while the tree is dormant. Remove water sprouts in June or July. Options for controlling pests, bacterial infections, and fungal disease include dormant oils applied early in the season before blooming, scented insect traps, and copper-based fungicides. DO NOT apply insecticides during blooming. This risks harming bees, which are crucial for pollination and fruit production. If necessary, fireblight can be treated with a streptomycin antibiotic spray during blooming. Apple trees need about an inch of water every 7-10 days, though young trees need a little more during their first growing season as they establish roots. If not enough rain has fallen, give the tree extra water by running a hose at a trickle around the base of the tree until the ground is fully soaked (but not for so long that there is standing water). Waterlogged roots can harm apple trees, so don't overdo it!

DISEASE RESISTANCE: Very resistant to apple scab

TOXICITY: Stems, leaves, and seeds contain cyanide and are therefore toxic to dogs, cats, horses, and humans. The fruit is non-toxic.