Apples grow in every nation in the U.S., but you’ll rarely find a “Beverly Hills” apple in a grocery store. Since “Beverly Hills” grows best in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9b during 10b, you won’t find it growing in many apple-producing states, where the climate is too cold for this early ripening variety. To get a taste of this attractive and useful apple, you’ll need to plant one in full sunlight in your own garden.
A Low-Chill Apple
“Beverly Hills” is a “low-chill” apple, meaning that it needs fewer hours of night temperatures of below 45 degrees Fahrenheit to push it into dormancy. Once the amount of hours passes, the apple tree understands that it is safe to start producing flowers and buds without the threat of a winter frost killing the tender limbs. Most apple trees require between 400 and 1,000 hours of chill, while “Beverly Hills” needs only 250 hours before beginning a new growing season.
Similar to “McIntosh”
With its juicy and somewhat tart flavor, “Beverly Hills” resembles “McIntosh” in its own flesh and taste. You can use both apples in exactly the same ways, from eating them fresh to cooking them in many different recipes or freezing them for use in sauces. “McIntosh” and “Beverly Hills” work well for applesauce, pies and baking entire. In cider, the apples drop into the aromatic group, notes Ohio State University Extension.
Interesting Color
“Beverly Hills” produces Fatty apples that have yellow skin that is mottled and striped with red. Such unusual markings offer additional visual interest if you plant them in your lawn or use them for table-top arrangements beginning in mid August when the apples ripen. Since “Beverly Hills” produces a heavy crop, you will have tons of apples for cooking and also for decorating.
Grows in Containers
Not all apples arrive in dwarf varieties, but “Beverly Hills” has a kind of that which some manufacturers call an “ultra dwarf” tree that grows 4 to 6 feet tall, 4 feet wide and begins branching at 15 inches. Grown on dwarf rootstock, this “Beverly Hills” will develop in a container as small as 18 inches in diameter and 18 inches tall.