Apple Scion, Calville Blanc d’Hiver

Apple Scion Wood – Calville Blanc d’Hiver (Malus domestica)

Calville Blanc d’Hiver is a historic French heirloom apple dating back to the 1500s and widely regarded as one of the finest culinary apples ever grown. The fruit is pale yellow to light green with distinctive ribbing and an irregular shape. Its fragrant white flesh offers a bright balance of sweetness and acidity that becomes especially rich and aromatic when cooked.

Key Characteristics

Legendary French baking apple
For centuries Calville Blanc d’Hiver has been prized in European kitchens, particularly for traditional French pastries such as tarte aux pommes. When cooked, the flesh softens into a smooth, flavorful puree with concentrated apple aroma. This makes it one of the finest apples for pies, sauces, and preserves.

Distinctive ribbed fruit
The fruit is medium to large with characteristic ribbing that gives it a slightly irregular appearance. Its pale yellow skin sometimes develops a light blush. The flesh is tender, juicy, and aromatic with a balanced sweet-tart flavor.

Late-season heirloom
Calville Blanc d’Hiver typically ripens in mid to late autumn. With proper storage, the apples can keep for several months, and their flavor often improves after a short storage period as sugars continue to develop.

Excellent orchard and homestead variety
This apple performs well in diversified orchards where multiple varieties provide cross-pollination and extended harvest seasons. It is especially valued by growers interested in culinary apples for home baking and food preservation.

Product Details

• Type: Apple scion wood
• Variety: Calville Blanc d’Hiver
• Sun requirements: Full sun
• Soil requirements: Medium, well-drained soils
• Bloom time: Mid-season
• Bloom color: White to pale pink
• Fruit qualities: Tender aromatic flesh; balanced sweet-tart flavor
• Fruit uses: Baking, pies, tarts, applesauce, preserving, fresh eating
• Fruit ripening month: October–November
• Required chill hours: ~800–1000 hours
• Pollination requirements: Requires a different apple variety for pollination. Good pollination partners include Golden Delicious, Fuji, Gala, Liberty, Enterprise, Granny Smith, and Honeycrisp.
• USDA Hardiness zones: 4–8

Important: What You Are Buying (Scion Wood)

This product is apple scion wood, which is a dormant cutting taken from a mature tree during winter. It is essentially a stick with no roots and will not grow on its own. In order to grow a tree, the scion must be grafted onto a compatible apple rootstock.

Grafting allows growers to combine the fruiting variety with a root system that controls tree size, vigor, and adaptability. If you are planning to graft this season, check out our selection of apple rootstocks and build your own apple tree.