Watauga County Cooperative Extension Apple Tree Sale 2020 Old Fashioned Heirloom Apples: Bare root plants, orchard ready, 2 yr. old transplants, approximately 4-5 ft. 15-20 ft. at maturity: Grafted which means the top part is an heirloom apple variety, the top is joined together with a root system from a variety called m-111, a semi-dwarf variety that is resistant to diseases and will keep the tree from growing as tall as the heirloom variety (35ft or more) Ø Space 15 feet apart, 4-5 years to significant fruit production, but will get some fruit sooner. Ø With the exception of ‘Honeycrisp’ all apples are heirloom varieties that have a history of being grown locally in the southern Appalachians. No longer commercially grown, we are wanting to preserve our local agricultural heritage. These apples are well suited to our environment. Ø Most apple trees need another variety to cross pollinate for optimum fruit production, the neighbor’s apple trees and even seedling apple trees nearby help with this pollination. Plant apple varieties that bloom at the same time. A really early apple will not pollinate a very late apple.

APPLE, HARVEST, USAGE PHOTO DESCRIPTION HISTORY/MISCELLANEOUS Ben Davis Medium size with waxy, bright • Originated in the South in the 1800’s and Late September yellow skin mottled with dark and was quite an important commercial vari- bright red blushing. Good keeper, ety praised for its durability and rugged- Fresh eating, baking, and and improves in flavor while in ness during shipping. sauce making. storage. Dependable, hardy and • Known to apple growers in the 19th Cen- vigorous, bearing relatively early in tury as a “mortgage lifter” for its reliability its life with heavy crops. Blossoms in fruit production and ability to hang late in the spring giving it an ad- firmly on the tree late into the season vantage over earlier blossoming

cultivars that are more susceptible to late frosts and freezes. Bevan’s Favorite (Striped Medium size with an oblong to slightly • Originated in Salem, New Jersey in 1842. It June) conical shape. The skin is greenish yel- became a Southern favorite and was widely Late June/July low with dark red striping concen- distributed in North Carolina as late as the trated on the sunny side. Crisp, white 1930’s before fading into obscurity. flesh is tender, juicy, and quite flavor- Fresh eating, baking ful with a fine-grained texture

Cox Orange Pippin Medium orange/ red and tough • Originated 1830 in England by a retired August / September skinned. Flesh is yellow-white, aro- brewer and horticulturist. matic, fine grained and very juicy • Can be difficult to grow but the flavor is Excellent fresh eating, sauces with hints of cherry and anise, con- considered the best of the fresh eating ap- and butters, good for ciders sidered the finest dessert apple. ples by which all others are compared. and fair for baking • Keeps into January. Fallawater Large to very large with dull green • Originated in Pennsylvania around 1842. October harvest skin shaded with red. Flesh green- • Grows well at higher altitudes in the South. ish white, coarse and mild with Keeps well, stores into Feb. in refrigeration. Good for fresh eating and ci- slightly sweet flavor der, and dries well

Grimes Golden Medium to large, roundish to • Considered one of the finest American September/October harvest slightly oblong with tough yellow apples ever, originated in 1790 in Brooks skin with occasional patches of rus- Co., WV by Thomas Grimes. Good for fresh eating and is a set. This aromatic apple is highly • Today a granite monument still stands in good keeper. flavored with tender, crisp, juicy recognition of this outstanding apple. Excellent for apple sauce and yellowish-orange flesh. cider

Honeycrisp Medium sized with red mottled • Developed by the University of Minnesota September skin and cream-colored flesh. and is a cross of Macoun and Honeygold Firm, crisp, juicy. • Very popular in stores but can be harder to Dessert apple, dries well grow than other varieties. Stores well.

Mammoth Blacktwig The apple is above medium to • Fireblight and cedar apple rust resistant, Late September/October large, skin green with a deep red and productive, even on poor quality soil. several red stripes. Its flesh is white, • Our grower’s favorite all-purpose apple almost yellow, firm, juicy, and mildly Fresh eating, cider, cooking • Originated in Virginia/Tennessee/Arkansas subacid

Stores Well McIntosh Medium size, glossy, dark red ap- • Originated in Ontario, Canada about 1811 September ple, crisp and juicy white flesh, by a farmer clearing his land; National apple sweet flavor, with refreshing of Canada Excellent for sauce and cider acidity and nuances of spice. • Easy to grow, stores in cold storage for 6 Good for fresh eating, months

Newtown Pippin (Albemarle Large and yellow with hints of pink • Originated about 1666 in Newtown, NY Pippin) at the stems, yellow flesh is firm, • Recommended by Thomas Jefferson October harvest crisp, aromatic • Flavor becomes better in storage, stores 3 months or more. Excellent fresh eating, baking good for cider, fair for sauce and butter Spitzenburg Medium, greenish fruit with tough • Originated in NY in 1700’s. Favorite of Late September/October har- red striped skin, white, fine flesh, Thomas Jefferson. vest aromatic, allegedly favorite apple • Can be difficult to grow but worth the of Thomas Jefferson effort. Once established, grows Excellent fresh eating, baking vigorously. and cider-sweet and aro- • Good storing, flavor and sweetness de- matic, good for drying-rec- velop after 1 month of storage. Stores 3 ommended to store a month months or more before eating for best flavor Virginia Beauty Medium to large, conical shape, • Originated about 1810 in Piper’s Gap Com- October harvest dark red to purplish skin, fine munity of Carroll Co, VA by Zach grained, tender flesh, mildly sweet. Safewright. Good for fresh eating, drying, • Classic mountain eating and pie apple and cooking, firm when • Easy to grow and excellent for storing baked. Good keeper Virginia Winesap Medium sized, dark red, yellow • A darker red selection of Winesap, col- October/November flesh is crisp, firm, juicy, sweet. lected in nearby Troutdale, VA. • Easy to grow even in clay, resistant to ce- Good for baking stays firm, dar apple rust, stores well 3 months or cider, fresh eating, fair for more sauce or butter

Wolf River Large, irregular in shape, greenish • Well-known in Southern Appalachians, September/ October harvest yellow color, red and carmine originated about 1870 along Wolf River, stripes, flesh coarse grained and Wisconsin Good for sauce/apple butter, moderately juicy, complex • Frost hardy and generally disease resistant fair for baking, cider, fresh sweet/tart flavor. • Fairly easy to grow stores 1-2 months eating

Yellow Transparent Medium size, transparent yellow • Originated in Russia and imported by the Late June/July harvest (earli- skin, tender fined grained and USDA in 1870 est apple) juicy, sweet and tangy. • Easy to grow and disease resistant but not good for storing. Average for fresh eating. • Pick while green for best flavor Makes excellent clear apple sauce, cider, juice, drying