Crop

Where can I grow apple?

Malus domestica · Fruit · Perennial

Apple is a great fit (80+) on 35.5 million km² (13.7 million sq mi) of land in 115 countries, 38% of it only with irrigation. The most well-suited land is in Texas, United States, Buenos Aires, Argentina and Xinjiang, China. Where it can't grow, it's usually not enough winter chill (87%) and frost-free season too short (5%).

Crop fit≤5075100Uncolored land: won't grow

Tap the map for the score at any spot. Each square is a 28 km (17 mile) grid cell.

Great fit (80+): 35.5M km²(13.7M sq mi); 25% of land
Worth a try (50–79): 4.8M km²(1.8M sq mi); 3% of land
Great fit without irrigation: 21.5M km²(8.3M sq mi); Rain alone is enough
Countries: 115; With great-fit land

Regions with the most suitable land

1
🇺🇸Texas, United States
Great fit on 454k km² (175k sq mi) · worth a try on 20k km² (7,600 sq mi)
For example Galveston (100), Texas City (100)
2
🇦🇷Buenos Aires, Argentina
Great fit on 305k km² (118k sq mi)
For example Mar del Plata (100), Avellaneda (100)
3
🇨🇳Xinjiang, China
Great fit on 304k km² (117k sq mi) · worth a try on 108k km² (42k sq mi) · mostly with irrigation
For example Xinyuan (100), Ghulja (100)
4
🇨🇳Yunnan, China
Great fit on 274k km² (106k sq mi) · worth a try on 11k km² (4,100 sq mi)
For example Kunming (100), Qujing (100)
5
🇺🇸California, United States
Great fit on 270k km² (104k sq mi) · worth a try on 15k km² (5,900 sq mi)
For example Vallejo (100), Berkeley (100)
6
🇨🇦Ontario, Canada
Great fit on 224k km² (86k sq mi) · worth a try on 30k km² (12k sq mi)
For example Toronto (100), Ottawa (100)
7
🇨🇳Inner Mongolia, China
Great fit on 217k km² (84k sq mi) · worth a try on 23k km² (8,800 sq mi) · mostly with irrigation
For example Tongliao (100), Dongsheng (100)
8
🇧🇷Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Great fit on 215k km² (83k sq mi) · worth a try on 33k km² (13k sq mi)
For example Rio Grande (100), São Lourenço do Sul (100)
9
🇦🇺New South Wales, Australia
Great fit on 207k km² (80k sq mi) · worth a try on 2,000 km² (800 sq mi)
For example Sydney (100), Newcastle (100)
10
🇦🇺Victoria, Australia
Great fit on 170k km² (65k sq mi)
For example Ballarat (100), Frankston East (100)
11
🇺🇸Missouri, United States
Great fit on 159k km² (61k sq mi)
For example Springfield (100), Columbia (100)
12
🇦🇷Cordoba, Argentina
Great fit on 140k km² (54k sq mi)
For example Córdoba (100), Río Cuarto (100)
13
🇿🇦Eastern Cape, South Africa
Great fit on 133k km² (51k sq mi) · worth a try on 9,100 km² (3,500 sq mi)
For example Grahamstown (100), Stutterheim (100)
14
🇬🇧England, United Kingdom
Great fit on 122k km² (47k sq mi) · worth a try on 11k km² (4,300 sq mi)
For example London (100), Islington (100)
15
🇿🇦Western Cape, South Africa
Great fit on 120k km² (46k sq mi) · worth a try on 1,900 km² (700 sq mi) · mostly with irrigation
For example Paarl (100), Somerset West (100)

Regions are states and provinces, counting land within 75 km of a town. At most three per country, so the list covers the world.

By country

🇺🇸United States4.8M km² (1.8M sq mi) · 86% of its land
🇨🇳China4.0M km² (1.5M sq mi) · 71% of its land
🇷🇺Russia1.8M km² (711k sq mi) · 37% of its land
🇦🇷Argentina1.2M km² (452k sq mi) · 74% of its land
🇮🇷Iran802k km² (309k sq mi) · 57% of its land
🇹🇷Turkey760k km² (294k sq mi) · 90% of its land
🇿🇦South Africa622k km² (240k sq mi) · 73% of its land
🇺🇦Ukraine610k km² (235k sq mi) · 98% of its land
🇦🇺Australia593k km² (229k sq mi) · 74% of its land
🇫🇷France567k km² (219k sq mi) · 97% of its land

Best-suited towns

100%fit
Latakia
🇸🇾 Syria
100%fit
Ţarţūs
🇸🇾 Tartus, Syria
100%fit
Chuxiong
🇨🇳 Yunnan, China
100%fit
Annaba
🇩🇿 Algeria
100%fit
San Miguel de Tucumán
🇦🇷 Tucuman, Argentina
100%fit
Alanya
🇹🇷 Antalya, Turkey
100%fit
Kunming
🇨🇳 Yunnan, China
100%fit
Blida
🇩🇿 Algeria
100%fit
Córdoba
🇦🇷 Cordoba, Argentina
100%fit
Montevideo
🇺🇾 Montevideo Department, Uruguay
100%fit
Antakya
🇹🇷 Hatay, Turkey
100%fit
Toluca
🇲🇽 México, Mexico

The most comfortable fits among the 2,000 biggest towns, two per region.

What apple needs

Winter chill (9 winters in 10): Ideal at least 60 portionsWon't grow below 40 portions
Coldest night of the year (average): Ideal at least -26°F (-32°C)Won't grow below -36°F (-38°C)
Frost-free days: Ideal at least 140 daysWon't grow below 110 days
Degree days above 50°F (10°C): Ideal at least 1,800 °F·days (1,000 °C·days)Won't grow below 1,080 °F·days (600 °C·days)
Days above 95°F (35°C): Ideal at most 10 daysWon't grow above 50 days
Yearly rain: Ideal 26–51 in (650–1,300 mm)Won't grow below 14 in (350 mm) or above 98 in (2,500 mm)

Rootstock and variety set cold hardiness; the hardiest survive zone 3. Hot summers hurt colour and cause sunburn.

Sources: Luedeling 2012, Climate change impacts on winter chill for temperate fruit and nut production: a review (Scientia Horticulturae); FAO ECOCROP: Malus domestica. Ranges not yet reviewed by an agronomist.

What stops it elsewhere

Not enough winter chill87%
Frost-free season too short5%
Not enough summer heat4%
Winters get too cold2%
Too many heat-stress days1%

Share of the land scoring under 50, by what holds it back most.

How this map works

Every 28 km square of land is scored 0–100 against the requirements above, using 1991–2020 monthly climate averages with frost, chill and heat estimated by simulating daily weather. Each square is scored with whichever variety fits it best. “With irrigation” ignores rain shortfalls; “Rain-fed only” counts them.

Climate is only part of it: soil, slope, water and markets decide where a crop is actually farmed. Use this to shortlist places, then check them locally.