Item Number: FT382
Reinette Franche Apple Tree
Excellent for Storing
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Description
Description
Reinette Franche Apple Tree is suited to USDA zones 5–10 and requires about 800–900 chill hours. Harvest is typically October, with timing varying by region and season.
Reinette Franche Apple Tree offers the rare combination of deep history, distinctive flavor, and genuine orchard presence. Its medium-to-large apples develop a handsome blend of crimson and gold, often marked by russet rays spreading outward from the stem. Beneath that old-world exterior is firm, crunchy, yellowish-white flesh with an aromatic spicy character described as having hints of nuts and orange. The fruit is memorable fresh and has enough structure and complexity for cooking, baking, and storage. This variety was carried from its long cultivation in Normandy into California’s Sierra foothills by pioneering nurseryman Felix Gillet, and surviving trees demonstrate the productive potential of a well-adapted heritage apple. For gardeners who want fruit that begins conversations and rewards careful tasting, Reinette Franche is both a delicious harvest and a living link between European pomology and California orchard history.
Plant this bare root apple in full sun and well-drained soil, water deeply while it establishes, and prune during dormancy to develop an open, durable branch structure. Thin crowded fruit clusters to support size and reduce strain. Because Reinette Franche does not appear on the confirmed characteristics sheet, specific zone, chill-hour, harvest-date, and rootstock claims are intentionally omitted pending verification.
Planting another compatible apple nearby is recommended to increase pollinator activity and support dependable fruit set. Heritage companions include Scarlet and Sierra Beauty; Fuji Red offers another available orchard partner where bloom overlaps.
Reinette Franche Apple Tree Details
- Fruit: Medium to large apples with crimson-and-gold skin and decorative russeting
- Flavor and texture: Firm, crunchy, spicy, and aromatic with nutty and citrus-like notes
- Best uses: Fresh eating, cooking, baking, and storage
- Harvest: October, with timing varying by region and season
- USDA zones: 5–10
- Chill hours: About 800–900 chill hours
- Pollination: Plant with another compatible apple with overlapping bloom
- Recommended companions: Scarlet, Sierra Beauty, or Fuji Red
- Special care: Thin clusters and prune to keep the canopy well lit and structurally balanced
- Something special: Cultivated in Normandy for centuries, Reinette Franche was introduced by Felix Gillet and preserved in Sierra County.
Orchard Planning Resources
Bare Root Tree Savings & Free Shipping
Bare Root Tree Savings & Free Shipping
Build your orchard and save by mixing and matching eligible bare root trees across qualifying varieties:
- Buy 3 qualifying bare root trees and save 5%
- Buy 10 qualifying bare root trees and save 15%
- Buy 6 qualifying bare root trees and receive free standard shipping
Ordering fewer than six trees? Orders of one to five qualifying bare root trees ship for a $29.99 fixed rate by FedEx or UPS.
Eligible trees may be combined within the BareRoot Trees shipping group. Potted plants, perennial bare roots, and fall perennials are tracked in separate shipping groups and do not count toward these thresholds.
Free standard and fixed-rate shipping offers apply to qualifying deliveries within the contiguous 48 states. USPS and expedited delivery are charged separately. Manufacturer-direct, dropship, and specially packaged products are excluded unless otherwise stated.
Shipping Information
Shipping Information
Cannot ship to the following states: HI, AK, PR, GU, VI
Shipping Weight: 5.0 lb
Dimensions: 47.5"L x 7.3"W x 2.75"H
Features
Features
- Bare Root
- Self-fruitful
- Suited to Warmer Climates
Characteristics
Characteristics
Planting & Care
Planting & Care
Useful Information
Useful Information
Guarantee
Guarantee
Limited Dormant Tree & Plant Guarantee
* Claim deadline is June 15th
We guarantee that your dormant tree or plant will arrive in good, viable condition. If your tree arrives in substandard condition, notify us within 3 days of delivery. Please email pictures of the box, inside packaging, the tree and its roots to helpdesk@groworganic.com. We will investigate your claim and process a request to exchange or refund the damaged product.
If your dormant tree or plant has not grown new leaves by June 15th, you may be eligible for our Limited Dormant Tree & Plant Guarantee. This guarantee provides for a store credit for the purchase price of the tree, excluding shipping. Please see the Instructions below.
Important Dates:
- April 1st Dormant trees/plants must be planted in the ground
- May 15th Perform scratch test, if no new leaves have grown
- June 15th Deadline to apply for a dormant tree/plant credit
All required documentation must be received by June 15th for your claim to be considered. Claims or documentation received after June 15th will be denied, without exception. Instructions listed below
Terms and Conditions
We cannot guarantee that your tree or plant will remain alive and healthy after it is received, or bear fruit as there are too many variables in your environment that are beyond our control (i.e. soil preparation, weed and pest control, proper irrigation, chill hours, compatible hardiness for your growing zone, proper choice of pollinator, extreme weather, rodent damage, disease, etc.).
We cannot guarantee that we will be able to provide a replacement tree/plant of the same species either that same growing season or in future years. Customers are responsible for all shipping fees associated with replacement trees and plants.
If we determine that the tree you purchased directly from us is not viable, we will issue you a store credit (not a refund) for the purchase price of the affected dormant tree or plant. Shipping is not included in the dormant tree/plant guarantee. Store credits can be used to purchase any product we sell and are valid for use only until July 1st of the following year.
Historically, 98% of our dormant trees and plants grow and thrive when they have been cared for and planted using our growing guides. Dormant trees and plants must be planted in the ground by April 1st in order to be eligible for credit. If the ground in your area is still frozen solid, you may temporarily plant your tree or plant in a pot.
Potted, non-dormant trees or plants are excluded from this guarantee as they are not dormant at the time of shipment. Evergreen trees such as citrus, avocado and olive trees are not available for credit under the Dormant Tree and Plant Guarantee.
Instructions
We guarantee that your dormant fruit tree or plant will leaf out, if you care for it according to our growing guides. In the unlikely event that your dormant tree or plant does not have leaves by May 15th, follow these simple steps to apply for a store credit:
Before you call or email, please perform a “scratch test” to determine if the tree or plant is still alive. This video shows how to check for live tissue under the bark. Scratch tests need to be done a few inches above and below the graft.
Green Cambium Layer / Living Trees
If the cambium layer under the bark is green, give your tree a little more time. It is still alive, but hasn’t come out of dormancy yet. Check to make sure that it is getting the right amount of deep root water, enough sunlight and that the weather is warm enough for that type of tree/plant to come out of dormancy. Every tree has its own personality and will come out of dormancy at different times. Be sure to submit the required documentation listed below by June 15th, if it doesn’t grow leaves.
Brown Cambium Layer / Dead Trees
If the scratch test shows a brown cambium layer or if your dormant tree/plant doesn’t have leaves by June 1st, please email us at helpdesk@groworganic.com. All required documentation listed below must be received by June 15th for your claim to be considered. To be considered for the guarantee claim, all required documentation must be received by June 15th. Incomplete submissions will be denied.
Required Documentation
- Order number
- Name of dormant tree/plant and the quantity affected
- Photos of each tree or plant showing:
- The roots (tree or plant must be pulled out of the ground)
- The scratch test areas
- The entire tree/plant
We reserve the right to not issue credit for items that have already been replaced. We also reserve the right to require photographic evidence that the tree/plant was not killed by root rot, rodent or mechanical damage.
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Ordered this and another rare tree (mother apple), both are doing well so far after about a month. We'll see how they handle a Texas summer soon. The included metal name plates are a nice touch.
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