Crop

Where can I grow apple (Low-chill)?

Malus domestica · Fruit · Perennial

Apple (Low-chill) is a great fit (80+) on 30.4 million km² (11.7 million sq mi) of land in 114 countries, 34% of it only with irrigation. The most well-suited land is in Texas, United States, Buenos Aires, Argentina and Yunnan, China. Where it can't grow, it's usually not enough winter chill (64%) and winters get too cold (23%).

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+): 30.4M km²(11.7M sq mi); 21% of land
Worth a try (50–79): 4.0M km²(1.6M sq mi); 3% of land
Great fit without irrigation: 19.6M km²(7.6M sq mi); Rain alone is enough
Countries: 114; 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
🇨🇳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)
4
🇺🇸California, United States
Great fit on 270k km² (104k sq mi) · worth a try on 15k km² (5,900 sq mi)
For example San Francisco (100), Santa Rosa (100)
5
🇧🇷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)
6
🇦🇺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)
7
🇨🇳Sichuan, China
Great fit on 197k km² (76k sq mi) · worth a try on 2,700 km² (1,000 sq mi)
For example Chengdu (100), Bazhong (100)
8
🇨🇳Hunan, China
Great fit on 183k km² (71k sq mi)
For example Changsha (100), Changde (100)
9
🇦🇺Victoria, Australia
Great fit on 170k km² (65k sq mi)
For example Ballarat (100), Frankston East (100)
10
🇺🇸Missouri, United States
Great fit on 159k km² (61k sq mi)
For example Kansas City (100), St. Louis (100)
11
🇦🇷Cordoba, Argentina
Great fit on 140k km² (54k sq mi)
For example Córdoba (100), Río Cuarto (100)
12
🇿🇦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)
13
🇨🇦Ontario, Canada
Great fit on 123k km² (47k sq mi) · worth a try on 42k km² (16k sq mi)
For example Toronto (100), Mississauga (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 States4.4M km² (1.7M sq mi) · 79% of its land
🇨🇳China3.1M km² (1.2M sq mi) · 54% of its land
🇷🇺Russia1.3M km² (499k sq mi) · 26% of its land
🇦🇷Argentina1.2M km² (452k sq mi) · 74% of its land
🇮🇷Iran800k km² (309k sq mi) · 57% of its land
🇹🇷Turkey744k km² (287k sq mi) · 88% 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
Köln
🇩🇪 North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
100%fit
Latakia
🇸🇾 Syria
100%fit
Lyon
🇫🇷 Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
100%fit
Vladikavkaz
🇷🇺 North Ossetia–Alania, Russia
100%fit
Zhu Cheng City
🇨🇳 Shandong, China
100%fit
Zhucheng
🇨🇳 Shandong, China
100%fit
Düsseldorf
🇩🇪 North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
100%fit
Hanzhong
🇨🇳 Shaanxi, China
100%fit
Turin
🇮🇹 Piedmont, Italy
100%fit
Christchurch
🇳🇿 Canterbury, New Zealand
100%fit
Brussels
🇧🇪 Brussels Capital, Belgium
100%fit
Antwerp
🇧🇪 Flanders, Belgium

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 12 portionsWon't grow below 6 portions
Coldest night of the year (average): Ideal at least -4°F (-20°C)Won't grow below -18°F (-28°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 30 daysWon't grow above 90 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 chill64%
Winters get too cold23%
Too many heat-stress days6%
Not enough summer heat4%
Frost-free season too short3%

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. This map is for Apple (Low-chill) only. “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.