Sheep's Nose Apple Tree

Sheep’s Nose — also known as Black Gilliflower — is one of the most visually dramatic and distinctively flavored antique apples you can grow. Believed to have originated in Connecticut in the 18th century, it produces medium-to-large, distinctly elongated apples with deep red to nearly black skin at full ripeness — an appearance so distinctive that it’s been remarked upon and prized since colonial times. The firm, crisp, dense flesh has a honey-sweet, lightly aromatic flavor that shines at peak maturity and makes it one of the finest antique apples for baking, pies, and cider blending where its structure and flavor complexity add genuine character. Late September ripening in Zones 4–8. A pollinator is required.

Nearly Black Skin — One of the Most Visually Dramatic Antique Apples

The deep red to nearly black skin of a fully ripe Sheep’s Nose is its most immediately striking quality — there’s no other apple quite like it in appearance at harvest. The elongated, oblong shape that earned it its common name adds to the distinctive visual character, making it one of the most conversation-worthy apples in any collection and a reliable standout at farm markets and harvest displays.

Honey-Sweet, Aromatic, and Outstanding for Baking

The flavor is as distinctive as the appearance. Sheep’s Nose has a honey-sweet character with a light aromatic quality that sets it apart from the straightforwardly sweet or tartly complex profiles of most modern apple varieties. The firm, dense flesh holds its structure beautifully through baking and cooking — providing the structural integrity that pies and cider blends benefit from, while delivering genuine flavor depth that simpler varieties can’t match.

Connecticut, 18th Century — Over 300 Years of American Heritage

Sheep’s Nose is genuinely ancient by American apple standards — believed to date to 18th-century Connecticut and documented in American pomological literature since the early 1800s. Growing it connects the home orchard to three centuries of American apple heritage — a variety that survived the transformation of American agriculture precisely because its qualities consistently earned its place wherever it was planted.

Why Growers Choose Sheep’s Nose Apple

• Nearly black skin at full ripeness — one of the most visually dramatic antique apples
• Honey-sweet, lightly aromatic flesh — distinctively flavored and genuinely memorable
• Also known as Black Gilliflower — Connecticut origin, 18th century
• Outstanding for baking, pies, and cider blending — firm dense flesh holds structure
• Cold hardy in Zones 4–8 — reliable antique apple performance across the northern range
• Pick promptly at maturity — best at peak ripeness rather than hanging on the tree