Golden Sentinel Columnar Apple Tree

Malus domestica 'Golden Sentinel'

$99⁹⁹

Out of stock
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This proprietary eCommerce software prevents the shipment of a restricted plant to each state. The Plant Sentry system includes a shipment certification program. The Plant Sentry Compliance Officer works closely with NatureHills.com and each nursery or fulfillment center to ensure only compliant plants are sold to customers.

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Delivery and Shipping

Shipping

To obtain a more accurate shipment time-frame, simply enter your zip code in the “Find Your Growing Zone” box to the right. Our plants are grown all over the country and lead time on items may be different because of this. Once your order is placed, you will also receive the specific shipment time-frame information as part of your order confirmation. Once an item ships, you will receive shipment notification and tracking numbers, so you can follow along while your plant travels to your doorstep. We use FedEx, UPS, or USPS at our discretion.

Due to winter weather we have put a hold on shipping to the areas shown below in grey. You can still order now and we will ship the plant to you during an appropriate time for your zone.

*If you have found your zone already, it will be highlighted in the table below.

Standard Shipping Rates

At Nature Hills we handle, package and ship the products you order with the utmost care to ensure healthy delivery. Shipping and handling charges are calculated based on the tables below. Please note that some items include an additional handling surcharge, these will be noted on the item's product page.

From	To	S&H
$0	$19.99	$24.99
$20	$49.99	$29.99
$50	$69.99	$34.99
$70	$99.99	$39.99
$100	$129.99	$44.99
$130	$149.99	$48.99
$150	$150+	Approx 28%

Click here to see our full rates

Understanding Plant Options

Nature Hills offers plants in two main formats:

Container Plants: Grown in pots with soil, sized by container volume and plant age
Bare Root Plants: Dormant plants without soil, sized by height measurements

Container Plant Sizes

Container sizes indicate plant age and growing capacity rather than liquid volume equivalents. Our containers follow industry-standard nursery "trade gallon" specifications, which differ from standard liquid gallon measurements.

Young Plants (6 months to 18 months old)

Container Size	Actual Volume	Metric Equivalent
2" x 2" x 3"	0.18 - 0.21 dry quarts	0.20 - 0.23 dry liters
4" Container	0.31 - 0.87 dry quarts	0.35 - 0.96 dry liters
4.5" Container	0.65 dry quarts	0.72 dry liters
6" Container	1.4 dry quarts	1.59 dry liters
1 Quart	1 dry quart	1.1 dry liters
5.5" Container	1.89 dry quarts	2.08 dry liters

Established Plants (18 months to 2.5 years old)

Container Size	Actual Volume	Metric Equivalent
2 Quart	2 dry quarts	2.2 dry liters
#1 Container	2.26 - 3.73 dry quarts	2.49 - 4.11 dry liters
5" x 5" x 12"	3.5 - 4.3 dry quarts	3.85 - 4.74 dry liters

Mature Plants (2-4 years old)

Container Size	Actual Volume	Metric Equivalent
#2 Container	1.19 - 1.76 dry gallons	5.24 - 7.75 dry liters
#3 Container	2.15 - 2.76 dry gallons	8.14 - 12.16 dry liters

Large Plants (3-5 years old)

Container Size	Actual Volume	Metric Equivalent
#5 Container	2.92 - 4.62 dry gallons	12.86 - 20.35 dry liters
#6 Container	5.25 - 6.01 dry gallons	23.12 - 26.42 dry liters
#7 Container	5.98 - 6.53 dry gallons	26.34 - 28.76 dry liters

Bare Root Plants

Bare root plants are sold by height from the root system to the top of the plant. Plants may exceed minimum height requirements.

Common Sizes:

Trees: 1 foot, 2 feet, 3 feet, 4 feet, 5 feet, 6 feet
Shrubs & Perennials: 1 foot, 18 inches, 2 feet

Important Notes

Container Volume Specifications

Trade Gallon Standard: Our containers follow industry-standard "trade gallon" specifications established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI Z60.1) for nursery stock
Volume Variations: Actual soil volume may vary due to plant root systems and growing medium settlement
Age Indicators: Container size primarily indicates plant age and maturity rather than liquid volume equivalents

Growing Conditions

Plant size can vary based on variety and growing conditions
Container size helps indicate plant maturity and establishment level
Larger containers generally mean more established root systems and faster landscape establishment

Seasonal Availability

Bare root plants are available seasonally when dormant
Container plants are available throughout the growing season
Specific varieties may have limited availability in certain sizes

Questions?

For questions about specific plant sizes or availability, please contact our plant experts who can help you choose the right size for your landscape needs.

Plant Highlights

Golden Sentinel Columnar Apple Tree highlights at a glance!

Specifications

Brand

Nature Hills' Choice
Botanical Name

Malus domestica 'Golden Sentinel'
Growing Zones

4-8
Mature Height

10 - 12 feet
Mature Spread

2 - 3 feet
Sun Exposure

Full Sun
Moisture

Low Once Established
Soil

Widely Adaptable
Growth Rate

Medium
Fall Color

Yellow
Pollinator Friendly

Yes
Pollinator Required

Yes
Fragrant

Yes
Pruning Time

When Dormant
Bloom Period

Late Spring
Harvest Time

Late Season

Growing Zones 4-8

Find Your Growing Zone!

Can you imagine growing crisp, juicy, smooth, sweet, full-sized healthy apples in a lot less space? Now that's a modern Apple! The Golden Sentinel™ (Malus 'Golden Sentinel') is the columnar Apple Tree that you've been waiting for! This neat little cultivar has vertical growth but stays really narrow and tidy.

Sweet, firm and delicious, Golden Sentinel has an attractive golden-yellow fruit form on a naturally dwarf, columnar tree that easily fits into any sized garden space! Covered in beautiful blossoms in spring that are fragrant and turns the whole tree into a pillar of snow-white flowers! Then you get to sit back and watch the show.

Full-sized apples in clusters directly off the tree trunk look like golden jewels! Similar in flavor to Golden Delicious, Golden Sentinel has a crisp white flesh that's sweet and flavorful! Typically ripening later in the season it often produces a crop the first year after planting!

Planting and Application:

Enjoy homegrown apples plucked right off your patio or balcony! Space-saving size it easily tucks into home orchards. Grow it in large containers and prepare for the compliments and questions to roll in! You'll love being on the cutting-edge of the long-lived trend of using edible plants in both front and backyard landscapes.

Create garden walls and privacy by edging your private spaces with several of these magnificent trees, alternating between this and its pollinator partner. Or imagine a pair of these flanking your sunny entryway for a very noteworthy welcome. Can you say curb appeal? Greet guests in style, and let them pick their own fruit to take home with them!

Full-Sized Juicy Golden White Fleshed Apples
Harvest September - October
Snow-White Fragrant Spring Flowers
Columnar Dwarf Apple
Edible Landscaping, Specimen, Container & Balcony Gardening

#ProPlantTips for Care:

Apple trees require full sun and consistent moisture for the best crops. Plant in rich, organic medium and well-drained soil. Read about pruning and Success Tips by watching the Nature Hills YouTube channel. You'll squeeze every bit of value from your trees by learning how to maintain your columnar apple tree's shape and health!

Full Sun
Mulched Enriched Soil
Regular Even Moisture
Good Disease Resistance
~400 Chill Hours

Order your own Golden Sentinel Columnar Apple Tree for your sunny balcony in the city, a rooftop garden, patio or vegetable garden today. Don't wait! NatureHills.com sells out of these very quickly!

Golden Sentinel Columnar Apple Tree Frequently Asked Questions

When to Plant Golden Sentinel Columnar Apple Trees

Planting Bareroot trees as soon as you can dig a hole in spring and until hot weather, the earlier the better. Plant container Apple trees throughout the growing season with complete success - that is the benefit of container plants - to extend the planting season. Your County Agricultural Extension Office is a great resource for first and last frost dates in your area.

How to Plant Golden Sentinel Columnar Apple Trees

Dig a large hole only as deep as needed to accommodate the bareroot or container root ball, and twice as wide. Add Nature Hills Root Booster to speed root establishment. Remove the pot or bag and situate it into the hole so the top of the soil (soil line if bareroot), is level with the new location's soil being careful not to plant too deep. Water in again very well and backfill with the same soil you dug up, tamping down gently to ensure there are no air pockets.

Top off with a 3-4 inch thick layer of Arborist mulch. Consider staking your tree to keep its trunk growing straight for the first year to ensure it stands tall against strong winds and drifting snow.

When to Prune Golden Sentinel Columnar Apple Trees

Trim off any broken branches from delivery as soon as you take them out of the box. Prune and trim apple trees while dormant, in late winter or early spring, before you see new growth.

How to Prune Golden Sentinel Columnar Apple Trees

Dormant prune to:

Remove any double leaders or narrow crotch angles
Eliminate any crossing branches
Thin interior branching and leave the fruiting spurs and strong branches in place opening up the canopy
Branching at least 24-36 inches above the ground

Prune Apple trees in the summer to:

Control size and shape by reducing the length of longer new growth on vigorous trees
Remove water sprouts on the main trunk or older branches in the crown
Remove suckers at the base of the trunk
Thin fruit during heavy years on established trees

How to Care for Golden Sentinel Columnar Apple Trees

Growing an apple tree is easy when proper soil, good drainage, attention to moisture, and regular fertility are maintained. Once you've chosen an apple tree that works for your climate, in the size you need for your landscape, and its pollinator (if needed), then you've accomplished half the battle!

Apple trees do best in full sun and well-drained soil
Water your apple trees when it gets dry - especially during the fruit production stage, and drought periods to keep it stress-free
Use arborists' wood chips to mulch over the roots of your apples and have your soil tested to see what your soil may be lacking before adding fertilizers
Maintenance pruning and shaping

Apple trees will tolerate a wide range of soils, so long as water and nutrients are not limited and the pH level is adequate.

How to Fertilize Golden Sentinel Columnar Apple Trees

For the first year, water alone is most important. It is always best to get a soil test to see what your soil is lacking before adding more fertilizers. Once established, a fertilizer routine may be beneficial. We do offer some excellent slow-release organic options, applied according to the package directions.

Fruit trees need more phosphate and it's possible to apply too much nitrogen which affects the soil's pH. Test soil acidity or alkalinity using a pH Tester.

Fertilize in spring when you first see new growth emerging.

Don't overdo it
Phosphates are your friends
Pay attention to pH in areas with extremely high or low soil pH
Follow the directions

Golden Sentinel Columnar Apple Tree Pollinating Info

Golden Sentinel Columnar is not self-fruiting and needs a pollinating partner. Pair with one of these varieties:

Scarlet Sentinel Columnar Apple Tree

Harvest Times for Golden Sentinel Columnar Apple Trees

Golden Sentinel Columnar’s are typically ready to harvest in September.

Early-Season? Mid-Season? Late-Season? The terminology can be confusing for new apple tree growers. Weather, climate and your tree determine when it's ripe.

For Apples:

Early-season is usually June-July
Mid-season can be August-September
Late-season can be from late September-November

The growing season consists of spring, summer, and fall, and varies with climate and weather. Areas with longer growing seasons in the warmer hardiness zones can greatly affect the harvest times for each particular apple variety grown in your area. Learn which growing zone you are in.

What Shipping Options Do You Offer?

NatureHills.com works closely with our growers and nursery professionals to ensure we ship when it is most appropriate for your area. Our goal is to deliver the hardiest plants by avoiding extreme high and low temperatures. Check out our shipping schedule for more information and to learn our wills and won'ts when it comes to shipping plants. Find your Golden Sentinel Columnar Apple Tree for sale here at NatureHills.com!

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Big healthy tree

This tree arrived in excellent condition and very healthy with ALOT of foilage. In the ground , looking good, can't wait to see what both trees do next year. Will update review next year. Much larger trees than Burpee and Stark Brothers.

Dear Teresa T.,

Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We’re thrilled to hear that your new trees arrived healthy and robust, with plenty of foliage. It’s great to know they’re settling well in the ground and that you’re excited to watch them grow next year. We truly appreciate your comparison to other suppliers, and it means a lot that you find our trees to be larger and thriving.

As they continue to establish, remember that regular watering—especially during dry spells—and mulching around the root zone can help your trees flourish even more. When you’re ready to provide the next update, feel free to reach out; we’d love to hear how both specimens perform as they grow.

Thanks again, Teresa, for choosing Nature Hills—we’re here to help your garden shine!

Rooting for your garden’s success,
Your Nature Hills Plant Care Team

Big healthy tree

Hi Teresa,

Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful feedback! We're delighted to hear that your trees arrived healthy and full of foliage—that's always our goal. It’s fantastic that they’re already thriving in the ground, and we’re excited with you to see how they continue to grow over the next year. When you’re ready to update your review, please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need tips on watering, feeding, or pruning to keep your trees flourishing.

Your comparison with Burpee and Stark Brothers means a lot, and we’re so glad you’re pleased with the size and quality of our trees.

Wishing you happy planting,
The Nature Hills Plant Experts

nicely developed tree

nicely developed tree

Dear Walter,

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts on your tree! We’re delighted to hear that it’s nicely developed and thriving— your satisfaction means the world to us. If you ever have any questions about how to care for your tree or explore other additions to your garden, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re always here to support your green space as it grows.