Over 7,500 cultivars of the apple are known.[1] The following is a list of the more common and important cultivars, with the year and place of origin (where documented), and whether the apples each produces are for cooking, for eating, or for making cider.
Table apples
| Commom name | Origin | First developed | Comment | Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams Pearmain | England, United Kingdom | 1826 | A dessert apple. Similar flavour to Russet, first introduced under the name “Norfolk Pippin”. | Eating |
| Aia Ilu | Estonia | 1946 | Apple is large in size, weighing 250–300 g. It is yellow, juicy, and bittersweet with a weak aroma. | Eating |
| Airlie Red Flesh (Hidden Rose, Aerlie’s Red Flesh) | Airlie, Oregon, United States | 1970 (apx.) | A large, conic apple. Light yellow-green skin strewn with white dots, occasionally with a faint red-orange blush. Light pink flesh is crisp, sweet and mildly tart. | Eating |
| Akane | Japan | 1970 | Jonathan × Worcester Pearmain. Tangy taste. | Eating |
| Åkerö | Sweden | 15th c. (approx.) | Apple is egg-shaped, medium to large in size, sweet and aromatic. Best in November, keeps well till February. Oldest cultivar in Northern Europe, grown mostly in Sweden and Estonia. | Eating |
| Alkmene | Germany, Europa | 1930 | Cox’s Orange Pippin × Doktor Oldenburg | Eating |
| Allington Pippin | Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom | 1880s | A versatile English dessert apple raised by horticulturalist Thomas Laxton some time before 1884. Exhibited as Brown’s South Lincoln Beauty, the name was changed to Allington Pippin by Bunyard Nursury in 1896. A cross of Cox’s Orange Pippin and King of the Pippins. A small apple, aromatic, with a pineapple-like flavour, keeps its shape when cooked. | Eating, Cooking, Dessert |
| Ambrosia | British Columbia, Canada | 1980s | Medium to large in size, mostly red coloration with yellow patches. Has cream-coloured flesh with a sweet, crisp, aromatic flavour and low acidity. Ambrosia trees are hardy and no major disadvantages have yet been identified. | Eating |
| Anna | Israel | 1965 | Colour is yellow with a red blush. This variety does not grow well in the cold and prefers heat and humidity. | Eating |
| Annurca | Campania, Italy | 1876 (documented) | Very old apple; possibly one of the oldest of all. Believed to be older than first mention in Pasquale’s Manuale di Arboricultura, 1876. Believed to be the apple depicted in frescoes at ruins of Herculaneum and mentioned in Pliny the Elder’s Naturalis Historia. | Eating |
| Antonovka | Kursk, Russia | 17th c. | A very old Russian variety, often planted at dachas. Apples are large, yellow-green and bracingly tart to eat out of hand, but superb for cooking, as they keep their shape. Extremely tolerant of cold weather, and because it produces a single, deep taproot (unusual among apple trees), Antonovka is propagated for use as a rootstock. Antonovka rootstock provides a cold-hardy (to -45°C), well-anchored, vigorous, standard-sized tree. | Cooking, Cider |
| Ariane | Angers, France | 2002 | Scab resistant. Developed at the National Institute of Agricultural Research in France. | Eating |
| Arkansas Black | Arkansas, United States | 1870 (apx.) | Hard and crunchy; stores well. Very deep red, appearing black from a distance. | Eating |
| Ashmead’s Kernel | England, United Kingdom | 1700 (apx.) | Small, very sweet and very tart. | Eating |
| Aurora Golden Gala | British Columbia, Canada | 2003 | Dessert apple; medium size, sweet, juicy, crisp, firm, very long storage life. | Eating |
| Bailey | New York, United States | 1840 (apx.) | Red apple with considerable white flecks. Has some russeting. | Eating |
| Baldwin | Massachusetts, United States | 1740 (apx.) | Sweet to subacid flavour. Also known as “Woodpecker”. Very old variety for North America. Makes lots of juice. | Cooking, Eating |
| Ballyfatten | Ballyfatten, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland | 1740 (apx.) | A large, round apple with firm, dry, sweet, slightly tart white flesh. Excellent keeper. Scab and canker resistant. | Cooking, Eating |
| Beacon | Minnesota, United States | 1936 | Lively, juicy flavour; good for baking. Does not keep very well. | Cooking, Eating |
| Beauty of Bath | England, United Kingdom | 1864 | Deep red flush and streaks of red with a little russet. Early maturing but short season. Formerly grown commercially in England for local markets. Good flavour in its home climate if it is eaten soon after picking. Poor flavour if distributed long distances and stored for weeks, so now rare. | Eating |
| Belle de Boskoop | Boskoop, Netherlands | 1856 | Bright red, fairly large, early in season (end of August to early September). | Cooking (applesauce) |
| Ben Davis | Southeastern United States | Noted for keeping well prior to refrigerated storage, but flavour has been compared with cork. | Eating | |
| Beverly Hills | California, United States | 1997 | Slightly tart flavour. Likes warm weather. | Eating |
| Bismarck | Victoria (Australia) | 1870 | Medium sized fruit with a green and red skin, sharp in flavour and not a common apple. | Cooking |
| Blenheim Orange | England, United Kingdom | 1740 (apx.) | Has greenish-yellow to orange skin streaked with red. Distinctive nutty flavour excellent for cooking. The vigorous tree is slow to come into crop but then produces heavily. | Cooking, Eating |
| Bloody Ploughman | Carse of Gowrie, Scotland | 1800 (apx.) | A medium-sized, very dark red, heavily ribbed apple. Crisp, mildly sweet white flesh, sometimes pink-streaked. It is reputed to have got its name from a ploughman who was caught stealing apples near Megginch Castle and was shot by the gamekeeper. His wife got the bag of apples and threw them on the compost heap where a seedling then grew and – voila – Bloody Ploughman. | Eating |
| Bottle Greening | Green Mountains, United States | 1800 (apx.) | Produces large fruit. Has thick skin, but juicy. | Eating, Cider |
| Braeburn | New Zealand | 1952 | Chance seedling. Dense apple, and becoming increasingly popular in the UK. | Eating |
| Bramley | Nottinghamshire, England, United Kingdom | 1809 | One of the UK’s most popular apples. Green coloration. Works extremely well in British puddings and apple crumbles. | Cooking |
| Breedon Pippin | England | 1801 | Sweet flavour. Originally raised by a parson in Berkshire. Rare. | Eating |
| Brina | Italy | 1998 | Resistant to scab. Spreading habit with intermediate vigour; full flowering season is medium-late, production is heavy, fruit is medium or medium-large, with smooth skin; white lenticels, no russet, excellent taste characteristics. Ripens first week of October (Trentino). | Eating |
| Byfleet Seedling | England | |||
| Calville Blanc d’hiver | France | 1598 | Noted for unusual looks (somewhat lumpy on the side) but excellent reward when tried. Noted for having unusually high vitamin C content. Apple of choice for tarte tatin in France. | Cooking |
| Cameo | Washington, United States | 1980s | Existence owed to freak accidental crossing of two most popular apples in world: Red and Golden Delicious. Retains prongs on bottom of latter parent but has flavour more resembling Golden. | Eating |
| Carolina Red June | Tennessee, United States | 1810 (apx.) | Has unusual habit of blossoming twice, and producing two crops per year. Very popular Civil-War-era Southern apple. Does beautifully in humid weather. Good choice for backyard gardener in subtropical climate. | Cooking, Eating |
| Carroll | 1947 | Ripens early. | Eating | |
| Carter’s Blue | Alabama, United States | 1840s (apx.) | Medium to large, roundish oblate; skin green or greenish yellow washed with dull red with darker red broken tripes, covered with a heavy bluish bloom. Crisp, juicy, sugary, aromatic, mild subacid. Foliage also has a blue hue. Ripens September and keeps until November Alabama Once widely grown in the American South, then thought extinct. Reintroduced to America in 1994 after being discovered at the National Fruit Trust in Kent England, where it had been added in 1947 from a collection in Rhone, France, after it had been acquired around 1860 from the Fruitland Nursery in Augusta, Georgia.[2] | Eating, Cooking |
| Catshead | England, United Kingdom | 1600 (apx.) | Sharp flavour. Lumpy shape and electric green colouring. Known to have been a variety planted in early Virginia by settlers as well as native England. Extremely rare in native UK; occasionally still found growing in southern US. | Cooking |
| Charles Ross | Berkshire, England | 1890 (apx.) | Has been an AGM winner. Orange to red. Best cooked early in season. Good flavour, and sweet when eaten later in season. | Multi-purpose |
| Chelmsford Wonder | Essex, England | 1870 (apx.) | A large long keeping yellow-skinned apple with diffuse orange pink flush. [1]. Still grown in Essex orchards including Lathcoats Farm Shop. | Multi-purpose |
| Chiver’s Delight | Histon, Cambridgeshire | 1920 (apx.) | Medium to large oblate apple. Red flush over greenish yellow skin. Crisp, juicy, sweet white flesh. Flavour can be variable but at its best is very well balanced. Grown by Chivers (now a brand of Premier Foods) for apple sauce. | Multi-purpose |
| Cornish Gilliflower | Cornwall, England | 1813 | Discovered as accidental seedling. Shy bearer. | Eating |
| Cortland | New York, United States | 1890s | Pale crisp flesh. Ripens in October in state of origin. Classic red coloration, nice crunch. | Eating |
| Court Pendu Plat | France | 1613 | Extremely old variety, may date from as early as Roman times. Popular during the Victorian era. Yellow to light green, flushed with red. | Eating |
| Cox’s Orange Pippin | United Kingdom | 1829 | Mainly grown in UK, but also grown for export in NZ. Extremely popular apple in Europe. | Eating |
| Cripps Pink (‘Pink Lady’) | Australia | 1970s | Crisp, very sweet and slightly tart. Light red, pink and light yellow-green striped skin. | Cooking, Eating |
| Crispin | Japan | 1930 | See Mutsu | Eating |
| Criterion | New York, United States | 1898 | One of parents believed to be Ben Davis, but very tart unlike parent. Dark red skin underlaid with stripes. | Cooking, Eating |
| D’Arcy Spice | Tolleshunt D’Arcy, Essex, United Kingdom | 1785 | A medium-sized apple with yellow-green skin, a red blush where exposed to the sun and covered with an spotty ochre russet. White flesh is aromatic, firm and crisp with noticeable hints of anise and clove. | Eating |
| Delblush | France | Delbard 1979 | Tentation delblush , Golden Delicious x Grifer |
Eating |
| Delcorf | France | Delbard 1960 | Delbarestivale delcorf, Golden Delicious × Stark Jonagrimes |
Eating |
| Delfloga | France | Delbard 2008 | Delbardivine delfloga, Royal Gala Tenroy x Florina, scab resistant |
Eating |
| Delflopion | France | Delbard | Eating | |
| Delrouval | France | Delbard 1995 | Cybèle delrouval, Delcorf × Akane |
Eating |
| Deltana | France | Delbard 2010 | Delbard Celeste deltana, (Golden Delicious × Grive Rouge) × Florina, scab resistant |
Eating |
| Devonshire Quarreden | England, United Kingdom (France?) | 1685 (documented) | Possible French parentage or ancestry. Crimson red peel. Juicy. | Eating |
| Discovery | Essex, England, United Kingdom | 1949 | Possibly from an open-pollinated Worcester Pearmain, or could well be a Worcester × Beauty of Bath. Sharp flavour. | Eating |
| Dorsett Golden | Bahamas | 1964 | Grown from chance seedling of Golden Delicious. One of the most southerly apples grown in North America. | Eating |
| Duchess of Oldenburg | Russia | 18th c. | Has red stripes with splashes of green. Excellent resistance to freezing temperatures. | Cooking, Eating |
| Dudley Winter | Castle Hill, Maine | 19th c. | A medium-sized oblate apple with greenish-yellow skin covered with red stripes over a solid red blush. Flesh is firm but tender, juicy, aromatic and quite tart, becoming milder as it ages. Good for fresh eating and cooking; rated by many as one of the best for apple pies and sauces. Tree is a natural semi-dwarf, very hardy and bears heavily annually. | Cooking, Eating |
| Dumelow’s Seedling | Shackerstone, Leicestershire, England | 18th c. | Large, roundish-oblate apple with pale greenish-yellow skin strewn with large russet dots, occasionally covered with a delicate pinkish-orange blush. Yellow-tinted white flesh is aromatic, firm, crisp, tart, and very juicy. One of the most widely grown culinary apples of Victorian England, esteemed for its fine flavour and good keeping qualities. | Cooking |
| Egle | Lithuania | Eating | ||
| Early Victoria | Essex England, United Kingdom | 1899 (introduced) | Possibly from Lord Grosvenor × Keswick Cod. Also called Emmeth Early. Ripens in late July. Pale yellow fruit. | Eating |
| Edward VII | Worcestershire, England, United Kingdom | 1908 (introduced) | A large oblate-round apples with yellow-green skin and pinkish-brown blush. White flesh is sharp and pleasant. Extraordinary keeper; apple ripens in autumn and will keep until Easter. Possibly Blenheim Orange × Golden Noble. | Cooking |
| Egremont Russet | Sussex, England | 1872 | Brown russeting, excellent keeper. | Eating |
| Ein Shemer | Israel | 1963 | Zabidani × Golden Delicious. This variety ripens in June. Tastes tart, does not do well in cold weather. | Eating |
| Ellison’s Orange | Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom | 1911 | Cox’s Orange Pippin × Calville Blanc. | Eating |
| Elstar | Netherlands | 1950s | Golden Delicious × Ingrid Marie. Medium-sized, mostly red with yellow showing. Often used in desserts due to its sweet flavour. | Cooking, Eating |
| Empire | New York, United States | 1966 | Lovely white subacid flesh. Tangy taste. Ruby red colour. | Eating |
| Enterprise | Illinois, United States | 1993 | Classic North American red apple. Stores well up to six months. Makes very good candy apple. | Eating |
| Envy | New Zealand | 2009 | Sweet and crispy, takes 4–8 hours after cutting to start browning. Royal Gala × Braeburn. | Eating |
| Epicure | United Kingdom | 1909 | Yellowish apple with reddish blush. Good clean taste. | Eating |
| Esopus Spitzenburg | Esopus, New York, United States | mid 18th c. | Grown by Thomas Jefferson at Monticello. Named for creek near which first seedling found. Heirloom variety still available at farmstands in Northeast and portions of Virginia. Difficult to grow for inexperienced planters. | Cooking, Eating |
| Fiesta | Kent. England, United Kingdom | 1972 | Sometimes called Red Pippin. Claims both UK and US heritage: parents are Cox’s Orange and Idared. Has flavour similar to the former but storage, colouring, and cold tolerance of the latter. | Eating |
| Fireside | Minnesota, United States | 1943 | Very fragrant. Yellow with red striping. Sweet apple, very popular in upper Midwest. | Eating |
| Florina | Anger, France | (Querina), scab resistant | Eating | |
| Flower of Kent | Kent, England, United Kingdom | 18th c. | This is the variety that inspired Sir Isaac Newton to consider gravity. | Eating |
| Fortune | 1904 | Cox’s Orange Pippin × Wealthy | Eating | |
| Fuji | Japan | 1930s | Red Delicious × Ralls Genet. Dark red, conic apple. Sweet, crisp, dense flesh is very mildly flavoured. Keeps very well. One of the most widely grown apple varieties in the world. | Eating |
| Gala | New Zealand | 1970s | A small to medium-sized conic apple. Thin, tannic skin is yellow-green with a red blush overlaid with reddish-orange streaks. Flesh is yellowish-white, crisp and grainy with a mild flavour. Cross of three of the world’s best known apples: Kidds Orange Red (a cross of Red Delicious and Cox’s Orange Pippin) × Golden Delicious. | Eating |
| Garden Royal | Sudbury, Massachusetts, US | 1800s | A medium-sized roundish-oblate, sometimes slightly conical apple. Greenish-yellow skin is striped and splashed with bright red, dull or grayish toward the stem; dots few, light and gray; cavity deep, basin shallow, slightly uneven. Flesh yellow, very tender, juicy, rich, mildly subacid and aromatic. Poor keeper. Upright habit, productive bearer, some biennial tendency. | Eating |
| George Cave | Essex, England, United Kingdom | 1923 | Pale green-yellow fruit with red flush. Early harvest. | Eating |
| George Neal | Kent, England, United Kingdom | 1904 | Received Award of Merit from R.H.S. in 1924. Pale green to yellow colour, will keep nicely until late autumn. | Cooking |
| Glockenapfel | Switzerland | 17th. c. | A medium-sized green-yellow elongate bell-shaped apple, sometimes takes on a reddish blush. Tart and juicy, stores well, taste improves with age. Excellent culinary variety; renown for its use in Strudel. | Cooking, Eating |
| Gloster | Germany | 1969 | Conical shape. Somewhat tart, ruby red colour like parent Red Delicious. Good choice for backyard gardening. | Eating |
| Ginger Gold | Virginia, United States | 1960s | Tangy flavour, crunchy texture, pale green-yellow colour. Noted for being an extremely early bearer (Europe by September 1, California late July, Eastern US in August). | Cooking, Eating |
| Golden Delicious | Clay County, West Virginia, United States | 1914 | One of the most popular varieties in the world. Light green-yellow coloration, very sweet. Poor choice for baking. | Eating |
| Golden Noble | England, United Kingdom | 1820 | Tree is short and stocky. Produces mint green fruit with blush of pink. | Eating |
| Golden Orange | Italy | 1979 released 1996 |
PRI 1956-6 × Ed Gould Golden. Resistant to scab. Moderate vigour, spreading habit and medium-late blooming season; fruit is moderately large (207 g) and symmetric, skin is smooth, no russeting. Ripens some days after Golden Delicious; fruit is very attractive; large, good storage ability. | Eating |
| Golden Russet | New York, United States | 1845 (documented) | A medium-sized heavily russeted light green apple, occasionally with a reddish blush. Crisp, fine-grained flesh is rich, sugary and very sweet. Excellent desert apple, keeps very well. Makes extraordinary cider, known as the “Champagne of cider apples.” | Cider, Eating |
| Golden Spire | United Kingdom, Lancashire | 1850 | An old Northern English variety. Unusually tall and oblong with a tart flavour. | Cider, Eating |
| Gragg (aka Red Gragg, Winter Queen) | North Carolina, United States | 1860 | Originated on the farm of James Gragg in Caldwell County, NC about 1860. Valued by North Carolina growers for its fine cooking qualities, crispness and long storage ability. The conical shaped fruit is red in color with moderately conspicuous dots. Ripens in October and is a great keeper. | Cooking, Eating |
| Granny Smith | Australia | 1868 | This is the apple once used to represent Apple Records. Also noted as common pie apple. Lime green colouring. Extremely tart. | Cooking, Eating |
| Gravenstein | Gråsten, Jutland, Denmark | 17th c. | A medium-sized early yellow-green apple, often with red stripes. Crisp, sweet, tart flavour. Exceptional cooking apple, especially for applesauce and pies. Poor keeper; becomes soft quickly. German immigrants introduced this variety to California’s San Joaquin Valley in the mid-19th century. Has many sports. | Cooking, Eating |
| Green Cheese | North Carolina or Georgia, United States | 18th c. | A very old southern apple thought to have originated in North Carolina or Georgia but its true origin is uncertain. The fruit is medium to large, oblate to oblique in shape. The skin is deep green in colour, turning pale yellow when fully ripe. The yellowish flesh is sweet, crisp, tender and juicy. | Eating |
| Greensleeves | Kent, England, United Kingdom | 1966 | Golden Delicious × James Grieve; good garden apple, with a pleasant but unexceptional flavour. Likely named for famous Renaissance era song. | Eating |
| Grenadier | England, United Kingdom | 1862 (documented) | Possibly one of the weirdest of all British apples: it is ribbed and lumpy with a tough coat, looking as though it has taken a beating. Grenadier cooks down to cream-colored puree with a superb apple flavour. Makes an excellent apple jam. Poor keeper. Reliably heavy annual bearer. | Cooking |
| Grimes Golden | Brooke County, Virginia (now West Virginia), United States | 1804 | A medium-sized roundish to slightly oblong apple. Greenish-yellow skin, ripening to a clear yellow, stem cavity sometimes russeted, covered with yellow or russet dots. The yellowish-white flesh is crisp and tender, with a rich, spicy, sugary-sweet flavour. A good all-purpose dessert and cooking apple, Grimes also makes a strong single-variety cider. Excellent keeper. Grimes Golden is the parent of the ubiquitous Golden Delicious. Relatively rare among apples, Grimes Golden is self-fertile. Original tree discovered near a known orchard of John Chapman (Johnny Appleseed). | Cider, Cooking, Eating |
| Haralson | Minnesota, United States | 1923 | Red colour and large, moderately conspicuous dots. Crisp and juicy with a tart flavour. Excellent choice for pies. | Cooking, Eating |
| Harrison Cider Apple | New Jersey, United States | 1770 | Yellow skin, sometimes red-blush, black spots, small size, sweet, rich and dry. | Cooking, Cider |
| Hawaii | 1945 (introduced) | Noted for pineapple-like taste. | Eating | |
| Heyer 12 | Very cold-tolerant. | Eating | ||
| Honeycrisp | Minnesota, United States | 1960 | Has excellent eating and keeping qualities. Mottled red and yellow colour. Very crisp white flesh is slightly tart with a strong honey-like sweetness. Quality varies from apple to apple. Developed by the University of Minnesota and best suited to cool climates. | Eating |
| Honeygold | Minnesota, United States | 1969 | Sweet tasting fruit. Tree has very showy, light pink blossoms in spring. | Eating |
| Howgate Wonder | Isle of Wight, United Kingdom | 1960 | Usually a big apple. Makes a lot of juice. | Cooking |
| Idared | Moscow, Idaho, United States | 1942 | A medium-sized deep red apple. Crisp white flesh is tart and juicy, and can be somewhat bland if eaten out of hand, however, Idared is an exceptional cooking apple. Flesh keeps is shape, and the flavour becomes much stronger with cooking. An excellent keeping apple, Idared remains hardy and durable in proper storage for as long as 8 months. Idared is a cross between Jonathan and Wagener developed at the University of Idaho. | Cooking |
| Irish Peach | Kilkenny, Ireland | 19th c. | Apple excellent for baking. Early harvest. More difficult to find within land of origin due to primary use for export to UK. Hardy, tastes very good straight off tree. | Cooking, Eating |
| James Grieve | Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom | 1893 | Good taste, but poor keeper (bruises easily). | Cooking, Eating |
| Jazz | New Zealand | 2007 (launched) | Bright red round apple with subtle yellow under-striping. Tart to sweet, dense and very crunchy with effervescent texture. From sweet Royal Gala × firm, tart Braeburn. | Eating |
| Jonagold | New York, United States | 1968 | Popular in Europe and land of origin. A very large apple. Several highly coloured strains are available. | Eating, Cooking |
| Jonathan | New York, United States | 1820s | Tart taste. Mostly red apple with patches of lime green. Does well in cooler areas; some frost resistance. | Cooking (Pie), Eating |
| Junaluska | North Carolina, United States | 1815 (apx.) | Once thought to be extinct but rediscovered in 2001 in rural North Carolina. Native American origin. Named for Cherokee chief Junaluska, leader in Battle of Horseshoe Bend, believed to have planted original tree. Extremely russeted and ugly apple but very hardy tree with superior taste to commercial varieties. | Cooking, Cider, Eating |
| Jupiter | North Carolina, United States | 1815 (apx.) | A large, round, slightly conic apple. Light yellow-green skin with a red-orange blush and stripes. Strong apple flavour is well-balanced between sweet and sharp. Cross of Cox’s Orange Pippin and Starking Delicious (a sport of Red Delicious), apple retains Cox’s flavour, but tree is easier to grow. | Eating |
| Kanzi | Belgium | 1991 | Gala × Braeburn. Crunchy, juicy, sweet, slightly tangier than Gala. | Eating |
| Karmijn de Sonnaville | Wageningen, Netherlands | 1949 | Yellow ground colour when ripe, with red flush, and russet depending on the season. Large apple, though shape can be irregular. | Cooking (Apple Juice), Eating |
| Katy | Sweden | 1947 | Medium-sized early eating apple with red skin and pale cream flesh. Well suited to Northern European climate. | Eating |
| Kerry Pippin | County Antrim, Ireland | 1805 (apx.) | Pale to golden yellow flesh. Delightful spicy taste. Well suited to Ireland’s moist, cool climate. | Eating |
| Kidd’s Orange Red | New Zealand | 1924 | Cox’s Orange Pippin × Delicious. Yellow skin with orange red flush. Chewy rather than crunchy. | Eating |
| King | United States | Eating | ||
| Knobbed Russet | Sussex, England, United Kingdom | 1819 | Green and yellow, with rough and black russet. Unusually irregular, warty and knobbly surface. | Cider, Eating |
| Lady Alice | Gleed, Washington, United States | 1978 | Medium-sized, roundish oblate with thin yellow-green skin with an orange blush and bright red stripes. Crisp yellowish-white flesh is sweet with hints of honey and almond. Don Emmons purchased a neglected orchard of Red Delicious near Gleed, Washington in 1978. While cultivating between trees, a disc from the plow hit the base of a tree. The injury caused a new shoot to grow from the rootstock (likely a seedling grown from a pip). The shoot was allowed to grow and bear fruit which Mr. Emmons named for his mother, Alice.[3] | |
| Lane’s Prince Albert | England, United Kingdom | 1841 | Green with orange blush. Makes a good apple crumble for Christmas: peak ripening happens in winter. | Cooking |
| Laxton’s Superb | England, United Kingdom | 1897 | Wyken Pippin × Cox’s Orange Pippin. Classic old Victorian, British apple. Green with dull red flush. Firm texture, but not very good juice producer. | Eating |
| Liberty | New York, United States | 1978 | Very disease-resistant. Very similar appearance to McIntosh, relatively short storage life in air. | Eating |
| Limelight | Kent, England, United Kingdom | 2000 | Greensleeves type; abundant cropping and a compact tree. A pale green apple with a smooth finish and occasional pink blush. Crisp flesh and disease resistant tree. | Eating |
| Lodi | Ohio, United States | 1911 | Fruit pale yellow flushed with deeper yellow. Resistant to scab. Tangy taste. | Eating |
| Lord Derby | Cheshire, England, United States | 1850 (apx.) | Yellowish green apple. Acid flavour, likes cooler weather. | Cooking |
| Lord Lambourne | England, United Kingdom | 1921 | James Grieve × Worcester Pearmain. Round shape. Orange flush with hint of russet. Strong acid flavour. Tree good for backyard gardeners. | Eating |
| Macoun | New York, United States | 1923 | Cold-tolerant. Crunchy. Does very well in salads. | Eating |
| Maiden’s Blush | Burlington, New Jersey, New Jersey, United States | 19th c. | A thin-skinned, flattened apple. Pale yellow-green skin has a telltale crimson blush on the side that faced the sun. White flesh is crisp with a sharp flavour that mellows with storage. Heavy annual bearer. Good cooker. Excellent variety for drying because the flesh remains white and bright. | Cooking, Eating |
| Malinda | Vermont, United States | 1860 | Small, conical with sheep’s nose; deep, rich yellow with red spots possible. Dry, dense, substantive flesh; mild, pear-like flavour. Tree good in climates with heavy snowfall. | Cooking, Eating |
| Mantet | Manitoba, Canada | 1929 (introduced) | Amber fruit washed with red. Summer apple. Does not do well in warm climates. | Eating |
| Margil | London, England | 1750s | Small, highly-flavored apple held in very high esteem by connoisseurs. Medium to small in size, slightly conical in shape, dull green skin with an orange-red blush, some russeting. The yellow flesh is firm, crisp, sugary, and as pomologist Robert Hogg said, “with a powerful and delicious aromatic flavour.” The very small tree is weak and slender and bears light crops. Because it flowers early, it is susceptible to frost damage. It keeps well. Introduced to Brompton Park Nursury from Versailles by Henry Wise in the early 18th century. | Eating |
| May Queen | Worcester, Worcestershire, United Kingdom | 1800s | Large, oblate, often russetted yellow apple with bright red blush and stripes. Crisp, greenish-yellow flesh, rich, nutty flavour. Similar texture to Ribston Pippin, and in a good year, its equal in flavour. In bad years it can be rather dry and harsh. Excellent keeper. Heavy annual bearer. | Eating |
| McIntosh | Ontario, Canada | 1811 | A popular, cold-tolerant eating apple in North America. | Cooking (applesauce), Eating |
| Melrose | Ohio, United States | 1944 | Flavour improves in storage. Coarse flesh. | Eating |
| Merton Worcester | England, United Kingdom | 1956 | Cox’s Orange Pippin × Worcester Pearmain. Developed at John Innes Institute. | Eating |
| Miller’s Seedling | Berkshire, England, United Kingdom | 1848 | Sweet apple. Tree prefers chalky soils. | Eating |
| Mollie’s Delicious | New Jersey, United States | 1966 | Conical shape, pinkish red colour. Lasts long in refrigeration. Good aftertaste. | Eating |
| Mother (American Mother) | Massachusetts, United States | 1840 | Mother/American Mother is a medium-sized yellow apple with crimson stripes and darker red blush. White flesh is rich, sweet and juicy. The fruit has a balsamic aroma with a suggestion of vanilla. Cropping can be a bit irregular, if not completely biennial. A late flowering variety that avoids frost. Some resistance to scab. | Eating |
| Muscadet de Dieppe | Normandy, France | 1750 (apx.) | Commonly used in making Calvados liquor. | Cider |
| Mutsu | Aomori Prefecture, Japan | 1930 | Known as “Crispin” in the UK. Golden Delicious × Indo. | Eating |
| My Jewel | Watsonville, California, United States | 1940 (apx.) | Delicious banana-flavoured apple originating in Watsonville, California, as a chance seedling. | Eating, Cooking, Cider |
| Newtown Pippin (Albemarle Pippin) | Queens County, New York, United States | 1759 | Best known colonial apple in North America. Known favourite of Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. Also known as “Albemarle Pippin”. Medium to large, often irregularly shaped apple. Greenish-yellow, dotted, often russeted. Tough skin, flesh cream to greenish-white, very quickly browning. Texture is crisp, moderately fine-grained subacid to tart, sprightly. Biennial habit, slow to come into bearing. Good keeper, improves with storage. Prized for its clear juice in cider making. Two sports, Green Newtown Pippin and Yellow Newtown Pippin, differ only in skin colour. | Cooking, Eating, Cider |
| Newton Wonder | England, United Kingdom | 1870s | Very good cooker. Prolific bearer, can be harvested in winter. | Cooking |
| Nickajack | North Carolina, United States | 1810 (apx.) | Native American origin, believed to be originally grown by Cherokee along banks of Nickajack Creek. Only grown in Appalachians, favourite of later settlers for desserts. Rusty red colour with sweet, crisp taste. | Cooking, Eating |
| Norfolk Royal | England | 1850 (apx) | Crisp, sharply sweet and well-flavoured. Available as a russet or smooth. | Eating |
| Northern Spy | New York, United States | 1800 (apx.) | Tart, firm, stores very well. Noted for being excellent choice for making American-style apple pie. Sometimes used as a rootstock. | Cider, Cooking, Eating |
| Orin | Japan | 1952 | Sweet and distinctive fragrance. Notes of pineapple. Medium hardness. Golden Delicious × Indo. | Eating |
| Orleans Reinette | Orleans, France | 1776 | Reliable bearer. Extraordinary complex flavor, similar to Blenheim Orange, but not related. | Eating |
| Ozark Gold | Missouri, United States | 1970 | Light green with pink blush. Has taste with notes of honey. | Eating |
| Pacific Rose | New Zealand | 1995 | Extremely crisp, sweet apple. Also grows well in California. | Eating |
| Pam’s Delight | Bedfordshire, England, United Kingdom | 1958 | Pam’s Delight is a medium-sized apple with a red blush. Flesh is crisp, juicy and sweet-tasting. Alfred Hull, a retired clerk planted some apple pips in pots which he placed on his bathroom windowsill. He planted the most vigorous in his garden. His daughter, Pam, teased her father by telling him that he should dig the tree up as it did not look as if it was capable of producing fruit. Unfortunately, Pam developed Hodgkin’s Disease, and Alfred told her that if his tree, which had become a family joke, ever bore fruit she would be the recipient of the first apple. Seven years after he planted the pip, the tree produced its first blossom, and from that, a single apple. He proudly presented it to Pam that October. Sadly, her illness became more severe, and she died, at the age of 28 the following April, just as the tree blossomed fully for the first time. That year the tree produced twenty two pounds of apples. In 1968, Brogdale Farm accepted Pam’s Delight for full commercial trials. Later that year it was included in the National Register.[4] As of 2011, Pam’s Delight is available from East of England Apples and Orchard Group. | Eating |
| Paula Red | Kent County, Michigan, United States | 1960s | Firm white flesh; McIntosh mutation. | Eating |
| Peasgood’s Nonsuch | England, United Kingdom | 1858 | A very large yellowish-green apple, deepening to orange-yellow, flushed and striped red with some russet patches. Flesh is sweet and juicy. Good eating and superb for cooking. Large, hardy and heavy cropping tree. Apples can weigh up to half a kilogram, and are famously large enough to make a pie from a single apple. | Cooking, Eating |
| Pink Pearl | California, United States | 1944 | Noted for having bright pink flesh. Sweet. Possibly has crab apple in its ancestry. | Eating |
| Pinova | Germany | 1986 | Bred in Germany over an 18-year period. Marketed as “Piñata” in the United States. Fragrant smell, thin skin and balanced sweet and tart flavour profile. From Golden Delicious, Cox’s Orange Pippin, and Duchess of Oldenburg. | Cooking, Eating |
| Pitmaston Pineapple | Moseley, Worcester, United Kingdom | 1785 | Pitmaston Pineapple is a dessert apple known since 1785. Small oblong apples with a yellow-green russeted skin. Tender flesh is an intense nutty, honeyed flavour with, as the name suggests, tropical undertones and some balancing acidity. Trees are biennial but produce heavy crops in the ‘on’ year. | |
| Pixie | England, United Kingdom | 1947 | Resistant to scab and mildew. Very small apple. | Eating |
| Porter’s | U.S. | Smallish, squat, deep golden yellow color with red blush and firm, white, fine-grained aromatic sweet flesh. | Eating, Cooking or Cider. | |
| Pott’s Seedling | England, United Kingdom | Pale green to yellow colour and white flesh. | Cooking | |
| Pound Sweet | Manchester, Connecticut, United States | 1834 | Amber coloration. Used mostly for making apple butter. Russets. Does well in moderate cold. Suitable to areas with snowy winters. | Cooking |
| Rajka | Czech Republic | Scab-resistant cross of Rezista x Rome | Eating | |
| Red Astrachan | Russia | 1800 (apx.) | Extremely resistant to frost. | Cooking |
| Red Delicious | Iowa, United States | 1870 (apx.) | Unmistakable for its acutely conic shape, dark red colour and telltale bumps on bottom. Flavour is sweet and mild, bordering on bland. Poor choice for cooking or cider. Original seedling known as “Hawkeye.” Rights bought by Stark Brothers in 1893. First marketed as “Delicious” or “Stark’s Delicious,” name changed to “Red Delicious” in 1914 when Stark bought the rights to Mullin’s Yellow Seedling, changing that apple’s name to “Yellow Delicious”. Red Delicious has many sports and ranks as the world’s most prolific apple. | Eating |
| Red Prince | Weert, Netherlands | 1994 | Medium-sized, conic, uniform deep red skin. White flesh is crisp, sweet and juicy, with hints of cherry and almond. Excellent keeper. Chance seedling (a natural cross of Jonathan and Golden Delicious) discovered in 1994 in an orchard near Weert, Netherlands. Marketed throughout Europe, in 2001, Global Fruit in Thornberry, Ontario became exclusive growers of the variety in North America.[5] | Eating, Cooking |
| Rev. W. Wilks | England, United Kingdom | 1908 | Pastel green with a light pink flush. Very disease-resistant. | Cooking |
| Rhode Island Greening | Newport, Rhode Island, United States | 1650s | Extremely old variety for United States, second only to Roxbury Russet in age. Very tart. Grass-green colour with some possible russeting near stem. Very tart. | Cider, Cooking |
| Ribston Pippin | Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 1708 | An irregularly-shaped and sometimes lopsided apple, usually round to conical and flattened at the base with distinct ribbing. Skin is yellow with an orange blush and red streaked with russet dots. Yellow flesh is firm, fine-grained, and sweet with a pear-like flavour. The original Ribston Pippin sprouted in 1708 from one of three apple pips sent from Normandy to Sir Henry Goodricke of Ribston Hall at Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, England. The original tree stood until 1835. It then sent up a new shoot and, on the original roots, lived until 1928. Ribston Pippin is thought to be a parent of Cox’s Orange Pippin. | Eating |
| Rome Beauty | Rome, Ohio, United States | 19th c. | Rounded, deep red, and very glossy. Crisp, juicy white flesh is mild as a dessert apple, but develops an extraordinary depth and richness when cooked. Good keeper. | Cooking |
| Rubens (Civni) | Italy | 1985 | Sweet and crunchy; Gala × Elstar. | Eating |
| Santana[6] | Wageningen, Nederland, Europa | 1978 | Scab resistant. | Eating. |
| Saturn | Kent, United Kingdom, Europa | 1980 | Scab resistant. | Eating. |
| Smokehouse | Mill Creek, Pennsylvania, United States | 1837 | A medium to small apple. Greenish-yellow with flushed red-orange stripes. The yellowish-white flesh is crisp and tender with a spicy-sweet flavour that tastes like cider. Excellent all-purpose apple. Unusual in that it also makes excellent cider. Seedling discovered growing next to the smokehouse on William Gibbons’ farm in Mill Creek, PA. Bears fruit from young age. | Eating, Cooking, Cider. |
| Snow apple (Fameuse) | Quebec, Canada | 17th c. | Tender, aromatic, distinct flavour. A parent of McIntosh. | Cider, cooking, eating |
| Sonya | New Zealand | 2000 | Cross between a Red Delicious and Gala. Coppery coloration. Crisp. | Eating |
| Spartan | British Columbia, Canada | 1926 | Good all-purpose, medium sized apple. Has a bright red blush and may have background patches of greens and yellows. Popular across border in United States as well. | Cooking, Eating |
| Stark Earliest | United States | 1938 | Does nicely in fruit salads. Red striping on light background. Ripens in summer. | Eating |
| Stayman | United States | 1866 | Dullish red skin often covered with a light russet. Tart, wine-like flavour. Stores well. Particularly known for tangy cider. | Cider, Cooking, Eating |
| Sturmer Pippin | Sturmer, Essex, England, United Kingdom | 1800 (apx.) | A medium-sized, bright greenish-yellow apple with a reddish-brown blush, often on one face only. White-fleshed and crisp. One of the best English keeping apples, with proper storage Sturmer Pippin lasts 4 to 5 months. Flavour is sprightly, more sharp than sweet when first picked, but improves dramatically in storage, becoming sweeter and richer, while maintaining its crisp texture. This keeping ability made it ideal for long journeys, as such, it was brought to Australia where it is still widely grown. Parent of Granny Smith. | Eating |
| St. Edmund’s Pippin | Suffolk, England, United Kingdom | 1870s | Unusual in fact that it has scaly russet patches mixed with smooth. Has vanilla/pear taste. Usually a light yellow-green. | Eating |
| Summerfree | Italy | 1998 | Resistant to scab. Spreading habit with moderate vigour, fruit is large, average weight of 175 g, skin is smooth, ripens 1–2 days before Gala, good storage ability. | Eating |
| Sunset | England, United Kingdom | 1918 | Easy to grow. Has very similar flavour to Cox’s Orange Pippin. Won’t do well in heat. | Eating |
| Sweet Sixteen | Minnesota, United States | 1973 | Large fruit, some russeting near top. Moderately acidic taste. | Eating |
| SweeTango | Minnesota, United States | 2009 | Juicy and sweet, and viewed as a successor to the Honeycrisp by many growsers. | Eating |
| Tolman Sweet | United States | 1822 | Very sweet apple. Once used to make dried fruit for winter. | Cider, Cooking |
| Tom Putt | Trent, Somerset, England | 18th c. | Small to medium, flat and irregularly shaped apple. Green, usually covered entirely with a bright red blush. Crisp, sharp flavour. An excellent cooker and ideal single-variety cider apple. Softens during storage. Tree is vigorous and precocious. Scab-resistant. Seedling found by a Rev. Tom Putt of Trent, Somerset, England in the late 1700′s. Triploid. | Cider, Cooking |
| Topaz | Czech Republic | 1990 | Rubin x Vanda, scab-resistant, sharp flavour. | Cider, Cooking, Eating |
| Twenty Ounce | New York, United States | 1840 | Huge: apple weighs over one pound, or nearly 500 g. Green overlaid with broad red striping. Excellent cooker. Nice juice qualities. | Cider, Cooking, Eating |
| Tydeman’s Early Worcester | England, United Kingdom | 1929 | Mclntosh × Worcester Pearmain. Crimson over yellow background colour. | Eating |
| Tydeman’s Late Orange | England, United Kingdom | 1930 | Good storage qualities, but loses fragrance with age. | Eating |
| Wagener | New York, United States | 1795 | Antique American variety, known since Colonial times. Tree is scab-resistant. Green with red flush, crispy, subacid and sweet. Keeps very well. Very versatile in kitchen; not only does it cook well, but makes a good single-variety cider. Wagener is a parent of Idared, to which it imparts its keeping and cooking qualities. | Cider, Cooking, Eating |
| Warner’s King | Kent, England, United Kingdom | 1700 (apx.) | Oblong and light green. Very tart. Do not attempt to eat out of hand. | Cooking |
| Westfield Seek-No-Further | Westfield, Massachusetts, United States | 18th c. | A medium-sized conic to truncate-conic apple. Greenish-yellow, dull skin, flushed orange with carmine stripes, russet dots and patches. Shaded fruit are often irregularly russeted all over, with little color showing. Flesh is light buttery-yellow, firm but tender, and moderately fine-grained. Flavour is nicely balanced, a honey-like sweetness balanced with a lemon-like citric acidity, rich, notes of pear and vanilla. Vigorous grower, some disease resistance. | Eating |
| Wealthy | Minnesota, United States | 1860 | Cherry Red × Sops of Wine.Pretty reddish pink coat. Believed at one time Minnesota was too cold to grow apples until “Wealthy” was cultivated. Now a parent to many apples for resistance to temperatures below freezing. Still available in upper Midwest. | Eating |
| White Transparent | Russia | 1870 | Very pale green skin with an almost white flesh, it is very sharp in taste. Fruit bruises easily and goes soft once harvested. | Cooking |
| Winesap | United States | 1817 | Sweet with tangy finish. Reddish blush flecked with some green. | Cider, Eating |
| Winston (Winter King) | England, United Kingdom | 1935 (apx.) | Cox Orange × Worcester Pearmain. Originally called Winter King because of its extraordinary keeping ability, renamed during WWII for Prime Minister Winston Churchill. | |
| Wolf River | Wisconsin, United States | 1881 | Apple very large, some growing to size of large grapefruit. Red with yellow blush. Once very popular commercial apple in United States but presently relegated to upper Midwest if grown for profit. Occasionally can be found growing wild in backcountry thickets or abandoned land in Shenandoah Valley. Named for area where found. Feral trees can be brought back with care and pruning. | Cooking, Eating |
| Worcester Pearmain | Worcestershire, England, United Kingdom | 1873 | Crisp and sweet flavour when ripe. Best if eaten early in season (September). | Eating |
Cider apples
Cider apples may be far too sour or bitter for fresh eating, but are used for making cider. Some apples (especially older ones from the U.S. and Canada) are used for both cider and eating purposes.
| Common name | Origin | First developed |
|---|---|---|
| Baldwin | Wilmington, Massachusetts | ca. 1740 |
| Brown Snout | Herefordshire, England | ca. 1850 |
| Dabinett | Somerset, England | late C19 |
| Dymock Red | Gloucestershire | |
| Foxwhelp | Gloucestershire, England | ca. 1600 |
| Hagloe Crab | ||
| Kingston Black | Near Taunton, Somerset, England | late C19 |
| Redstreak | Herefordshire, England | ca. 1630 |
| Roxbury Russet | Massachusetts | ca. 1640s |
| Stoke Red | Rodney Stoke, Somerset, England | early C20 |
| Tremlett’s Bitter | Exe Valley, U.K. | ca. 1820 |
| Vista Bella | Rutgers University, (New Brunswick, New Jersey) | 1944 |
| Winesap | USA | ca. 1817 |
| Yeovil Sour | Yeovil, Somerset | ca. 1824 |
Rootstock cultivars
Selection of rootstock cultivars can be difficult: vigorous roots tend to give trees that are healthy but grow too tall to be harvested easily without careful pruning, while dwarfing rootstocks result in small trees that are easy to harvest from, but are often shorter-lived and sometimes less healthy. Most modern commercial orchards use one of the “Malling series” (aka ‘M’ series), introduced or developed by the East Malling Research Station from the early 20th century onward. However, a great deal of work has been done recently introducing new rootstocks in Poland, the U.S. (Geneva), and other nations. The Polish rootstocks are often used where cold hardiness in needed. The Geneva series of rootstocks has been developed to resist important diseases such as fireblight and collar rot, as well as for high fruit productivity.
Taste
Availability
