Apple Trees

History: Norhey comes from the Morden Research Station, Agriculture Canada. It was created by Dr. C. R. Ure in the 60's to survive the harsh prairie winters. It was introduced in 1975.

Why We Grow It: It seems Dr. Ure was successful since this is about the hardiest apple we've come across. The fruit has green skin that turns yellow after picking. It's fair for fresh eating, good for cooking and juicing with sweet, sub acid flavours and creamy crisp flesh. The tree has consistent, heavy crops.

History: Norkent was bred as a cross between Haralson and Rescue at the Morden Research Station. It was one of tens of thousands of seedlings sent across the prairies as part of the Prairie Fruit Breeding Cooperative initiative by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in the 1960s. It was planted at the University of Alberta before being moved again to a backyard in Edmonton once the university ran out of space to it grow. 

Why We Grow It: This pleasant and aromatic apple is one of the best fresh eating apples for colder climates! The flesh of this red apple is crisp and said to taste like a cross between an apple and pear.

History: Norland apples were created by Dr. C.R. Ure and introduced in 1979 by the Agriculture Canada Research Station in Morden, Manitoba. 

Why We Grow It: Since this variety was bred to survive in the prairies, it is very cold hardy. The fruit is medium-sized with sweet flesh that is good for fresh eating or applesauce. It bears heavy annual crops starting early in the life of the tree. A home orchardist in Dacre, ON described the fruit as "lovely with no pest damage; juicy, creamy-fleshed with excellent flavour."

History: Northern Spy was first discovered in New York around 1800. It tends to be irregularly shaped and bruises easily, so it is not a popular commercial apple but it is still commonly grown in certain regions in the States today. It is featured in several poems and in 1953 a box of Northern Spy apples was sent to Senator Joseph McCarthy by the Toronto Globe and Mail during his infamous hunt for 'communist spies.' 

Why We Grow It: Northern Spy apples are juicy with a balanced sweet-tart honeyed flavour, although they do tend to bruise easily due to their thin skin. To make up for that, they are known for making wonderful pies. The trees are cold hardy and vigorous.

History: Nova Easygro was developed at the AAFC Kentville Research and Development Station in Nova Scotia and introduced in 1971. 

Why We Grow It: Living up to its name, Nova Easygro is hard to beat if you're looking for a low-maintenance backyard tree or a clear winner for organic orchards. This variety is resistant to numerous common apple diseases and tastes great. The flavour is pleasant and sweet and the flesh is firm and white with the perfect texture, earning this apple favourable reviews at our tasting event.

History: Novamac apples were developed at the AAFC Kentville Research and Development Centre in Nova Scotia and introduced in 1978.

Why We Grow It: Novamac is a variety that definitely deserved more attention. They are generally disease resistant and have proven to be very easy to grow in our test orchard where they are performing well. This apple has a nice vibrant tang but also lots of sweetness and notes of berry. The flesh is firmer than its namesake McIntosh, which it is descended from. 

History: Parkland apples were variety created at the Morden Research and Development Centre in Manitoba and released in 1979. Like other varieties developed there, Parkland was designed to withstand the harsh prairie winters and is especially cold hardy. It has become the most commonly grown apple in Alaska after it was brought over in 1985 in an effort to determine which Canadian varieties could survive in the northern state.

Why We Grow It: Parkland is a very satisfying early season apple - sweet and crunchy. It's excellent snacking or applesauce although the fruit is small (about 2" diameter) with creamy flesh and red skin. The tree is quite hardy. 

History: Paula Red (sometimes written Paulared) was discovered in Michigan in 1960 by Lewis Arends near a ravine where apples were dumped. It was one of several wild apple seedlings that had sprouted up from the discarded seeds. Likely pleased by its attractive red skin and flavour, Arends named it 'Paula Red' in honour of his wife Pauline. It is a cross between Duchess and McIntosh.

Why We Grow It: Paula Red produces medium to large red apples with small yellow/green patches that are juicy and firm with a nice sweet/tart flavour. The flavour has strong vinous and strawberry notes. It is also slower to brown. This early-ripening variety tends to soften relatively quickly which means it does not store very long, but it is great for making applesauce. The tree produces heavy crops although tends to bear every other year as a result. 

History: Not to be confused with Pink Lady, Pink Pearl was developed by breeder Albert Etter who had the goal of creating red-fleshed apple varieties from seedlings of Surprise, a red-flashed variety. In 1940, he partnered with the California Nursery Company to bring some of these varieties to the public. Pink Pearl was selected as the best amongst his seedlings and released in 1945.

Why We Grow It: One of Steph's favourites! Pink Pearl is a delicious apple that is crisp with a pronounced unique fruity flavour and a nice blend of sweetness and sharpness. Its yellow-pink skin conceals a bright pink interior that is stunning to see compared to the white-ish flesh of most apples. It is great fresh or for applesauce, and it is relatively slow browning- it can be cut and bagged in the fridge the night before with very little change in colour the next day. Their pink colour adds a unique visual appeal to baked goods as well, such as with the gooseberry and Pink Pearl tarts Steph made pictured here!

History: Porter's Perfection originated in Somerset in the UK some time in the 1800s. It became extremely popular in England although its popularity began to wane following the 1910s. It is still grown today but not as commonly as it once was. It shows promising results in the North American climate, unlike some other European cider cultivars.

Why We Grow It: This English cider apple produces a medium bittersharp cider. It has done well in different studies in Ontario with the Vineland Research Station with regards to juice composition, disease resistance and overall performance. The tree is a heavy cropper and grows vigorously.

History: Prima is one the apples developed from the collaborative PRI disease-resistant breeding program run by Purdue University, Rutgers University, and the University of Illinois. It was introduced in 1958 but unfortunately is no longer fully scab resistant due to the fungus evolving to overcome the resistance since then.

Why We Grow It: Another great apple for organic production and excellent for the backyard or farmer’s market sales! This apple is sweet, juicy, and flavourful and boasts good disease resistance..

History: Pristine is another variety that was developed through the collaborative PRI disease-resistant breeding program run by Purdue University, Rutgers University, and the University of Illinois. It was introduced in 1994.

Why We Grow It: The program was successful with this apple which boasts a decent disease resistance, and performs very well in our orchard. The fruit is an attractive yellow-gold colour with a pink blush where the sun hits it, and the flesh is dense and white. It has a refreshing, sharp flavour and is good for fresh eating if you enjoy a good tart apple! Unlike many early season apples, it has a higher sugar content and stores decently well.

History: Red Gravenstein is a sport/mutation of the original Gravenstein/Yellow Gravenstein that is a striking bright red. Some say it is also sweeter than the original.

Why We Grow It: With attractive red skin, this is a lovely sport of the original Gravenstein. It is a good quality and sweet early apple that is excellent for home orchards.

History: Redfree is one of the apples developed under the collaborative PRI disease-resistant breeding program run by Purdue University, Rutgers University, and the University of Illinois. It was bred in 1966 and officially introduce to the public in 1980.

Why We Grow It: Redfree apples are great for fresh eating with a pleasant, mildly sweet flavour and softer yet crisp flesh. The fruit does not ripen all at once, allowing a longer eating season. As its name would suggest, it has decent resistance to several common apple diseases.

History: Rhode Island Greening emerged around 1650 where it was grown from seed by a Mr. Green near Green's End, Rhode Island. Mr. Green owned a tavern and often gave scions from the original tree to his customers, although the tree eventually died from the demand for scionwood. The name was originally the descriptive 'Green's Inn apple from Rhode Island' and later shortened to 'Rhode Island Greening.'* This apple was commonly grown in New York and is still quite common today. 

*Fun fact: The Ontario ghost town Unopark got its name in a similar way. It was originally founded by Richard Parker, Mouse's ancestor, and the name is a shortened version of 'You know the Parkers?'

Why We Grow It: This apple's long-lasting popularity is due to its reputation as perhaps the definitive American pie-making apple. The large, dark-green apple is too tart to be eaten fresh but is great in pies and holds its shape well when cooked. It also produces nicely in our test orchard, producing large, blemish-free fruit despite it's generally poor disease resistance.

History: In 1817 Joel Gillet accidentally received Rome Beauty as a seedling in a shipment of nursery trees. His son planted the seedling along the Ohio River in Rome Township. When it began producing lovely red apples, Gillet's cousin started a nursery to propagate and promote it. Originally named Gillet's Seedling, the name was later changed to Rome Beauty in 1832 to honour the township. The original tree collapsed in the 1850s due to bank erosion but the variety still remains popular in the United States today.

Why We Grow It: The fruit is deep red, large, and slightly conical with cream coloured flesh. It has a mild flavour compared to something with more character like a russet, though still an excellent snacking apple. It makes a good cooking apple too since it keeps its shape when cooked. It also stores exceptionally well, lasting all winter long.

History: Rouville apples were created by R.L. Granger and G.L. Rouselle in 1962 at the Agriculture and Agri-food Canada research centre located in St.-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec. The variety was introduced in 1983.

Why We Grow It: This lovely Quebec cider apple has a wonderful bitter-sweetness that is great for fresh eating and juicing and sauce. It is resistant to scab and has grown very well in our test orchard.

History: Roxbury Russet is the oldest American apple still under cultivation. It was discovered around 1650 in Roxbury, near Boston. These apples were well-known for their long keeping ability and qualities for cider making. They were grown by Thomas Jefferson at Monticello and are even referenced in one of Nathanial Hawthorne's novels. Due to the russet skin, these apples have never achieved true commercial success but they can still be commonly found in American farmer's markets. 

Why We Grow It: Aside from its historic roots, Roxbury Russet is an excellent all-around apple that can be eaten fresh, used in cooking, and made into a great cider. It has a nice flavour that is sweet and sharp. This variety is also a good choice for organic orchards.

History: Royal Gala is a natural sport (mutation) of the Gala apple that was patented by Stark Bro's Nurseries in 1977. It boasts a deeper red colouring than the original Gala which makes it more visually appealing. In New Zealand, where the Gala apple originated, it has been almost entirely replaced by the Royal Gala in commercial growing operations.

Why We Grow It: Like the Gala apple, Royal Gala is popular for a reason. It is juicy and crisp with a sweet flavour and the fruit stores quite well.

History: Sekai Ichi (translated literally from Japanese as 'world number one,' more accurately meaning 'best in the world') was bred at the Prefectural Experiment Station in Aomori, Japan in 1930 and released in 1974. It is a cross between Red Delicious and Golden Delicious. This variety is quite highly regarded in Japan where a single apple can sell for as much as $25 each. Each apple is hand pollinated, washed in honey, and hand-stamped while being inspected to ensure its quality.
 
Why We Grow It: Although we don't get quite that fancy here, Sekai Ichi is nonetheless a great apple if you enjoy sweet, crunchy, apples with no acidity, as is common with Japanese varieties. It is red over greenish skin and very large with an average circumference of 30-45cm and average weight of 2lb. The tree itself is very vigorous although slow to start bearing fruit with a tendency towards biennial bearing.

Photo Credit: Sakurai Midori 

History: Shamrock apples were raised by K. Lapins at the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre in 1970 and released in 1986. 

Why We Grow It: This is a Canadian apple for all you Granny Smith lovers! Although a bit sweeter than Granny Smith, Shamrock apples still have some tartness and are hardy enough to survive in Canadian climates. They even resemble Granny Smith with their light green skin and white flesh. 

Photos courtesy of Shannon McInnis!

History: Shizuka (translated as "quiet" or "calm") was created at the Aomori Apple Experiment Station in Japan in the 1930s. It is a cross between Golden Delicious and Indo, the same parentage as its sister apple Mutsu.

Why We Grow It: Although it resembles Mutsu with its large yellow-green fruit, sometimes featuring a reddish-orange blush, Shizuka is sweeter and less acidic. This is an excellent fresh-eating apple for farm gate sales and it also keeps well. It is also great in salads due to its slow browning.

History: In the 1830s in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, a seedling apple tree grew beside the smokehouse of William Gibbons. Perhaps it sprang from a core that some one had tossed there while they tended the fire. Who knows? What we do know is that the aptly named Smokehouse was commonly grown in the area until its popularity waned as sweeter apple varieties appeared on the market. Still, this variety has stood the test of time due to its great flavour. 

Why We Grow It:  Traditionally Smokehouse apples are picked a little early and used for baking, but if they're allowed to ripen fully on the tree, some people have described the balanced flavour as being “like drinking fresh-pressed cider!”. 

History: Snow, aka Fameuse, apples originated near Lake Champlain in Quebec some time before the 1730s. The exact origin is unclear but this variety is thought to have originated from a seedling or cutting brought from France. From about 1750-1850, this was one of the most commonly grown apples in Quebec until the orchards were almost wiped out in the latter half of the 19th century by disease and failed to regain their popularity. However, these lovely apples may still be with us in their own way as they are one of the potential parents of McIntosh.

Why We Grow It: It is easy to see why Snow apples were once so popular. These apples have a lovely deep red skin with pure white flesh with a sweet strawberry flavour. These trees are also quite cold hardy and produce heavy crops.

History: Somerset Redstreak originated in Somerset, England in the early 1900s. This cider apple is still widely planted in the UK.

Why We Grow It: These attractive apples, yellow with red blush and striping, create a nice bittersweet juice with no sharpness. 

History: Spartan apples are a Canadian variety that was developed at the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre in Summerland, BC in 1936 by Dr. R.C. Palmer. Of particular interest is the fact that Spartan apples are the first apple variety created by a formal scientific breeding program. They have been popular in North America ever since and are even commonly found in gardens in the UK.

Why We Grow It: This variety is known for its sweet/acid flavour and pleasant crunch, especially when eaten fresh off the tree. They tend to soften rather quickly after they are picked but luckily the fruit hangs on the tree 2-3 weeks after its ripe which helps to extend the optimal time to enjoy this variety. Spartan apples are also known for being relatively easy to grow, having decent disease resistance, heavy crops, and an ability to keep all winter.