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Comparison Chart of Apple Varieties Grown [Reference: Old Southern Apples, Creighton Lee Calhoun, Jr.]
Variety
Description, History, and
Orchard Opinion
Origin
Date Apple Color
Disease
Resist. Ripen
Flavor /
Texture Uses Eat Keep Cook Dry Cider
Bearing
Tendency
May (Yellow
June,
Origin: Europe, Middle ages,
very old apple. Valued for
Early Ripening. 1300 Yellow Good
May-
June Soft. Very Tart. Cook x Medium
Anna
Origin Israel. Extremely
young bearer. Good taste
and stores well for an early
apple. Good for deep South.
Blooms Early. Planting Anna
and Dorsett together works
well. Gold Delicious
parentage. Most popular
variety in Florida. <1959
Green-
Yellow-Red Very Good
June-
July
Crisp. Sweet to
mildly tart.
Eat, pies,
sauce x x Heavy.
Early Harvest
Yellow-green. Eat, cook,
sauce. Possibly, earliest
Apple in inventory. Heavy
bearer, good disease
resistance, grows well in
many climates including the
South on many soil types.
Juicy, crisp, somewhat tart to
tart. Grown around many
old farms and valued for it's
early ripening time. <1800 Yellow Very good
June-
July
Somewhat
firm/crisp. Tart
to somewhat
tart.
Eat,
sauce,
pies x x Very Heavy
Pristine
Yellow. Heavy producing,
great tasting early apple.
Very crisp with tart-sweet
complex flavor. My favorite
eating early apple. Makes
many great tasting apples for
me every year. Heavy bearer. 1950
Green-
Yellow
Good.
Considered
no spray
variety.
June-
July
Crisp. Tart to
sweet. Eat, dry. x Very heavy.
Comparison Chart of Apple Varieties Grown [Reference: Old Southern Apples, Creighton Lee Calhoun, Jr.]
Variety
Description, History, and
Orchard Opinion
Origin
Date Apple Color
Disease
Resist. Ripen
Flavor /
Texture Uses Eat Keep Cook Dry Cider
Bearing
Tendency
Red Astrahan
(Abe Lincoln)
Red. Crisp, tart. Eating and
cooking. Old Southern
nurseries sold more of this
apple than any with exception
of Winesap. The most widely
distributed apple in the world
in the 1900's. Was said to the
best of the early apples by
some. Great pie apple. <1800 Red
Can be
susceptible to
Apple Scab.
June-
July Crisp, tart.
Eat, cook,
pies. x x
Can be
light.
Dorsett
Origin Bahamas. Good taste
and stores well for early
apple. Good for deep South.
Blooms Early. Good
pollinator. Descendant of
Golden Delicious. Planting
Anna and Dorsett together
works well. Fruits extremely
early (2 yrs). Self-fertile. 1950 Yellow-red Good
June-
July
Crisp. Sweet to
mildly tart. Eat, cook. x x Heavy
(Carolina) Red
June
Origin South Carolina. Widely
planted and depended on by
Southerners in the past. It was
the early apple Southerners
depended on for several reasons
including: good eating for an
early apple, ripens over a month
period, keeps several weeks
(good for an early apple),
relatively resistant to diseases
(exception - apple scab, CAR).
Has unique quality of
occasionally blooming a second
time and producing a second
harvest of apples in the fall.
Grows well on/in variety of soils
and climates. Heavy producer. <1800 Red Good
June /
July
Tender. Mild
tart.
Eat, cook,
sauce x x Very heavy.
Comparison Chart of Apple Varieties Grown [Reference: Old Southern Apples, Creighton Lee Calhoun, Jr.]
Variety
Description, History, and
Orchard Opinion
Origin
Date Apple Color
Disease
Resist. Ripen
Flavor /
Texture Uses Eat Keep Cook Dry Cider
Bearing
Tendency
Striped June
(Margaret)
Striped red. Crisp, tart but
very flavorful for an early
apple. Sold for many years in
South by old Southern
Nurseries. Striped red.
June-
July
Crisp, tart,
flavorful. Eat
Hollow Log
Origin North Carolina. Name
derived from fact that it was
seedling found growing near
Hollow Logs. Late bloomer,
heavy producer, strong
grower. Crisp, aromatic,
sweet-spicy. One nursery
claimed that wherever known
this apple is considered to be
the best in cultivation. Good
for eating and cooking. <1920 Yellow Good
Jun-
Aug
Crisp. Sweet-
spicy. Eat, cook. x x Heavy
William's
Favorite
Origin Massachusetts.
Adaptable to most growing
conditions. Resistance to fire
blight. Bright red summer
apple that resembles Red
Delicious. 1750 Red
Very Good.
Fire Blight
resistant. July
Firm. Mildly
sweet. Eat, cook. x x
Aunt Rachel
Origin North Carolina. Ripens
over several weeks in July.
Wide angled limb structure
making it easy to train. One
of the best early apples.
Yellow-red
stripes. Good. July Mildly tart. Eat, cook. x x Medium
Comparison Chart of Apple Varieties Grown [Reference: Old Southern Apples, Creighton Lee Calhoun, Jr.]
Variety
Description, History, and
Orchard Opinion
Origin
Date Apple Color
Disease
Resist. Ripen
Flavor /
Texture Uses Eat Keep Cook Dry Cider
Bearing
Tendency
Horse
Old favorite. Many old farm
sites have a Horse apple tree.
Widely planted and depended
on by Southerners in the past.
Good pollinator. Unique
taste. Versatile apple with
many uses: eating, cooking,
cider, vinegar. Must have
apple for a Heritage Apple
Orchard. Origin: Possibly VA
before 1763. <1763 yellow Good.
July-
Aug Soft. Very tart.
Cook,
cider,
vinegar,
eat x x x Heavy.
American
Summer
Pearmain
Origin: Probably New Jersey
origin. Very good eating early
apple and apple sauce apple.
Grew throughout South on
variety of soils. 1817 Red-Green.
Fair
(susceptible
Fire Blight)
July-
Aug
Crisp, juicy,
aromatic.
Mostly sweet
to mild tart.
Eating,
cooking
Sauce,
dry. x x x Heavy
Hackworth (All
Summer)
Yellow with heavy red.
Aromatic. Apples ripen over
a long period of summer
providing ripe apples
potentially every day of
August. A great eating
summer apple. Origin
Alabama.
Yellow-heavy
red.
Jul-
Aug Aromatic. Eat. x
Mary Reid
Origin North Carolina. Good
eating, cooking and dries
well.
<1945
? Red-green. Good
Jul-
Sept Tart.
Eat, cook,
dry. x x x Medium
Comparison Chart of Apple Varieties Grown [Reference: Old Southern Apples, Creighton Lee Calhoun, Jr.]
Variety
Description, History, and
Orchard Opinion
Origin
Date Apple Color
Disease
Resist. Ripen
Flavor /
Texture Uses Eat Keep Cook Dry Cider
Bearing
Tendency
Ginger Gold
Origin Virginia. Known as the
apple that hurricane Camille
brought forth as it was found
when cleaning up from the
flooding. Parentage includes
Golden Delicious and
Albemarle. One of the mostly
popular varieties in the US.
Will last several weeks in
refrigeration. Considered one
of the best early season
apples. 1960? Yellow Good. Aug
Crisp/crunchy
Tart-Sweet Eat, cook. x x Heavy
Mollies Delicious
Very productive. Good
pollinizer. Low chill apple.
Not related to Red Delicious.
Very good sweet-tart taste.
Very resistant to CAR. 1900? Red Good Aug
Crisp. Sweet-
tart.
Eat, cook,
can. x x Heavy
Cauley
Origin Mississippi. One tree
was said to produce more
than 1 ton of apples every
year. Great eating, drying,
and cooking apple. Large
fruit weighing well over 1 lb
in some cases. Fire blight
resistant when mature. Spur
bearer. <1860
Yellow-red
striped. Good
Aug-
Sept
(mid
July
cook)
Crisp. Mild
sweet.
Dry, Eat,
Cooking x x x Very Heavy.
Hewe's Crab
Origin Virginia. Widely
considered the best cider
apple grown in the South
yielding a dry cider of
unsurpassed flavor that will
keep all winter. Thomas
Jefferson grew and used
Hewe's Crab for cider. <1717 Red Striped Good
Aug-
Sep
Firm.
Astringent. Cider x Heavy
Comparison Chart of Apple Varieties Grown [Reference: Old Southern Apples, Creighton Lee Calhoun, Jr.]
Variety
Description, History, and
Orchard Opinion
Origin
Date Apple Color
Disease
Resist. Ripen
Flavor /
Texture Uses Eat Keep Cook Dry Cider
Bearing
Tendency
Golden Delicious
Origin: West Virginia. Great
tasting, great pollinator, very
heavy bearer. Must have
apple for any Orchard. The
taste of this apple picked at
just the right time (a little
early is better) is hard to
match. It tastes nothing like
a purchased version of the
apple. Thought to be a
seedling of Grimes Golden.
Progenitor of many other
great apples. Good disease
resistance. Just a great apple. 1914 Yellow Very good.
Aug-
Sept
Crisp. Sweet
Spicy Eat, cook. x x Very Heavy
Hunge
Origin North Carolina. Wide
adaptability even growing in
coastal areas. Bears young.
Highly thought of apple in the
past that was almost lost as it
is thought to have been only
1 tree in existence as of 1987. 1700 red Very good.
Aug-
Sept
Crispy.
Sweet/tart/
hint of wine.
Eating,
cooking
drying,
brandy. x x x Heavy.
Red Jonathon
Origin Michigan? Bright red,
crisp, tart but well-balanced.
Great eating apple. Also good
for ciders, juices, sauces, pies,
and freezing. Partially self
fertile. Widely adaptable to
soil types. Zones 4-8. Grows
well in South but considered
Heritage mid west apple. 1826 Bright Red Very Good
Aug/
Sept
Crisp. Sweet to
tart.
Eating,
cooking,
cider. x x x Very heavy.
Comparison Chart of Apple Varieties Grown [Reference: Old Southern Apples, Creighton Lee Calhoun, Jr.]
Variety
Description, History, and
Orchard Opinion
Origin
Date Apple Color
Disease
Resist. Ripen
Flavor /
Texture Uses Eat Keep Cook Dry Cider
Bearing
Tendency
Red Rebel
Origin Virginia. Very
productive and disease
resistant. Beautiful apples
described as the prettiest
apple by some. Excellent
eating apple. 1850 Red Very good.
Aug-
Sept
Crisp. Mild
sweet. Eating x Very heavy.
Summer Banana
Origin South Carolina. Great
tasting apple. Hint of banana
flavor. 1890 Yellow Good.
Aug-
Sept
Firm. Very
sweet.
Eat and
cook. x x
Burgundy
Crisp, tangy-sweet. Burgundy
color. Great eating apple. Burgundy
Aug-
Sep
Crisp, tangy-
sweet. Eat. x
King David
Red. Crisp, tart. Good for
eating, cider, cooking. Very
disease resistant. Red. Very good.
Aug-
Sep Crisp, tart.
Eat, cider,
cook. x x x
Summer Rambo
Red-green. Crisp, juicy.
Excellent for juice, cider,
eating, sauce. One of the first
apple trees grown in America
as early as 1767. 1535 origin
France. 1535 Red-Green
Aug-
Sep Crisp, juicy.
Eat, juice,
cider,
cook. x x x
Magnum Bonum
Origin North Carolina. Grown
from seedling of Hall Apple.
Per Calhoun on everybody's
list of Top 10 greatest
Southern apples. Sets
standard as a fall apple.
Widely adaptable to growing
condition. Commercial apple
at one time. Susceptible to
CAR. Excellent dessert apple,
good eating apple, good
keeper. 1828 Light red.
Good
(susceptible
to CAR)
Aug-
Oct
Crisp. Mildly
sweet. Eat, cook. x x Heavy.
Comparison Chart of Apple Varieties Grown [Reference: Old Southern Apples, Creighton Lee Calhoun, Jr.]
Variety
Description, History, and
Orchard Opinion
Origin
Date Apple Color
Disease
Resist. Ripen
Flavor /
Texture Uses Eat Keep Cook Dry Cider
Bearing
Tendency
Carters Blue
Green-yellow with
purple/blue stripes. Crisp,
juicy, aromatic, mild tart-mild
sweet. Widely grown in
South the at one time.
Vigorous and productive tree.
Origin AL.
Green-
yellow,
purple/blue
stripes. Sep
Crisp, juicy,
aromatic, mild
tart - mild
sweet. Eat. x Heavy.
Tolman Sweet Yellow. Sweet. Cider apple. Yellow. Sep Cider. x
Huntsman
Yellow. Juicy, aromatic and
flavorful. Widely grown in
Missouri in 1800's. Very
productive and good eating
apple. 1800 Yellow. Sep
Juicy, aromatic,
flavorful. Eat. x Heavy.
Pitmason
Pineapple
Yellow. Tender, sweet-
pineapple flavor. Considered
a fine eating apple. Yellow. Sep
Tender, sweet-
pineapple
flavor. Eat. x
Guyandotte
Pippin
Red. Moderately crisp-
crunchy, tangy sweet. Red. Sep
Crisp-crunchy,
tangy-sweet. Eat. x
Dula Beauty
Origin North Carolina.
Originated from Limbertwig
seeds. Adapted to all growing
conditions from mountains to
coast, strong and vigorous.
Bears heavily. Large fruit.
Possibly same as Coffey
Seedling which originated
from seeds of Red
Limbertwig.
late
1800's Red Good Sept
Crisp. Mildly
sweet to mildly
tart. Eat. x Heavy
Comparison Chart of Apple Varieties Grown [Reference: Old Southern Apples, Creighton Lee Calhoun, Jr.]
Variety
Description, History, and
Orchard Opinion
Origin
Date Apple Color
Disease
Resist. Ripen
Flavor /
Texture Uses Eat Keep Cook Dry Cider
Bearing
Tendency
Empire
Origin New York. Red
DeliciousxMcIntosh
parentage. Disease resistant
to Blight and Rust. Popular
commercial variety. Good
eating apple. Keeps well until
March. 1945 Red Good. Sept Crisp. Sweet.
Eating,
cooking x x Heavy.
Esopus
Spitzenberg
Origin: New York. Thomas
Jefferson's favorite apple.
Outstanding eating apple but
susceptible to apple scab,
collar rot, fire blight. It won
many apple tasting contests. <1800 Red Poor. Sept
Crisp. Mildly
sweet to mildly
tart. Eating. x Medium.
Gala
Origin: New Zealand. One of
the most widely grown
varieties. Ranked #2 most
popular US apple in 2006.
Can be grown in South (600
chill hours). Cross between
Kidd's Orange and Golden
Delicious. Fresh Gala apples
are much better than the
store bought version. 1930 Red Good. Sept Firm. Sweet. Eat. x Heavy
Graniwinkle
Origin: New Jersey. Named
for the farmer that first
cultivated it. Good for fresh
eating, cider, and cooking. 1817 Red. Good Sept
Crunchy.
Sweet.
Eating,
cooking
cider. x x x Heavy.
Comparison Chart of Apple Varieties Grown [Reference: Old Southern Apples, Creighton Lee Calhoun, Jr.]
Variety
Description, History, and
Orchard Opinion
Origin
Date Apple Color
Disease
Resist. Ripen
Flavor /
Texture Uses Eat Keep Cook Dry Cider
Bearing
Tendency
Grimes Golden
Origin: West Virginia. So great is this apple that a granite
monument exists in West Virginia to honor it. Considered an all time American best. Good keeper, heavy bearer, good disease
resistance, tastes great. Widely grown. Thought to be a progenitor of the great Golden Delicious. A must have variety. Self-fertile. Excellent pollinizer.
Many say the Grimes has a better flavor than the Golden Del. 1790 Yellow Very Good. Sept
Firm. Sweet,
spicy.
Eat, cook,
Dry,
Cider. x x x x x Heavy
Honeycrisp
Origin: University of
Minnesota. Parents include
Keepsake and Golden
Delicious. Keeps until April.
Commercial variety. Great
tasting apple. 1960 Red - yellow Good Sept
Crisp/crunchy
Sweet.
Eating,
storage x x
Jonafree
Origin Illinois. Disease
resistant, heavy bearer,
vigorous. Keeps 10 weeks. 1965 Red Very good Sept
Crisp. Sweet to
tart.
Eat,
cider. x Heavy
Liberty
Origin New York. Heavy
bearer, great tasting, good
pollinator. Many say this is
the most trouble free variety.
A truly great apple and tree.
Stores well. At TCO Liberty
has produced year after year
without spraying. 1955 Red
Very
Good/Best Sept
Firm/crunchy.
Sweet, winey
flavor.
Eat.
Cider.
Cooking x x x x
Extremely
heavy.
Comparison Chart of Apple Varieties Grown [Reference: Old Southern Apples, Creighton Lee Calhoun, Jr.]
Variety
Description, History, and
Orchard Opinion
Origin
Date Apple Color
Disease
Resist. Ripen
Flavor /
Texture Uses Eat Keep Cook Dry Cider
Bearing
Tendency
Limbertwig,
Victoria
Origin Tennessee. Weeping
type. Rated as top apple for
fresh eating. Stores 1-2
months. <1860 Red Very good. Sept Crisp. Sweet.
Eating,
cider,
cook,
sauces,
pies. x x x Heavy.
Cripps Pink (Pink
Lady)
Origin Australia. Cripps Pink
is an apple cultivar from
which apples meeting certain
standards can be sold as Pink
Lady. Parents are Lady
Williams x Golden Delicious.
Pink Lady is trademarked
Apple from a Cripps Pink
apple tree variety. Cripps
Pink requires a very long
growing season. Good
storage apple. 1973
Pink-green
undertones. Good Sep
Crisp. Sweet -
slightly tart.
Eating,
keeping,
cooking,
sauces. x x x Heavy.
Sops of Wine
Origin: England. Grows well
in South. Early apple. Annual
bearer. <1855 Red-yellow. Good Sept
Firm.
Aromatic, Mild
sweet.
Eat, cook,
cider. x x x Heavy.
Winesap,
Stayman
Origin Kansas. Another
progeny of Winesap.
Stayman came from seeds of
the Winesap. Good tasting,
disease resistant, keeps well. 1866 Red Very good. Sept
Firm/crisp.
Mildly tart,
tangy.
Eat, cook,
cider,
juice. x x x x Heavy.
Jonagold
Red-green. Crisp, sweet to
tart. Winner of many taste
contests. Red-green. Sep
Crisp, sweet to
tart. Eat. x
Razor Russet
Golden. Crisp, rich
sweet/spicey flavor. Very
productive. Great eating
apple. Golden Sep
Crisp, rich
sweet/spicey
flavor. Eat. x Very heavy.
American Beauty
Yellow-red. Tender flesh,
mild tart and aromatic. Yellow-red. Sep
Tender, mild
tart, aromatic. Eat. x
Comparison Chart of Apple Varieties Grown [Reference: Old Southern Apples, Creighton Lee Calhoun, Jr.]
Variety
Description, History, and
Orchard Opinion
Origin
Date Apple Color
Disease
Resist. Ripen
Flavor /
Texture Uses Eat Keep Cook Dry Cider
Bearing
Tendency
Smokehouse
Origin: PA. Green/yellow
striped red. Crisp, mild sweet
to sweet-spicey. Eating,
cooking. Grows well on clay
soils. Original tree grew
beside a smokehouse. <1836
Green
/yellow,
striped red. Sep
Crisp, mild
sweet to sweet-
spicey. Eat, cook. x x
Myers Royal
Limbertwig
Red to yellow. Crisp, sweet-
spicey. Great eating and
cider apple. Largest
Limbertwig Apple. Origin
Cades Cove.
Red to
yellow. Good. Sep
Crisp, sweet-
spicey.
Eat,
cider. x x
Spigold
Crisp. Red-bronze. Very high
quality and taste. Fair
keeper. Red-bronze.
Sep-
Oct Crisp. Eat, cook. x x
Blacktwig
Origin: Arkansas or
Tennessee. Much
controversy surrounded
origin. Most likely another
Winesap seedling. Grows
well on any soil type. Very
good fresh eating apple.
Keeps well. Resistant to fire
blight and Cedar Apple Rust.
Very good all purpose apple
for eating, drying, cooking or
cider. 1800 Red-Green. Good.
Sept-
Oct
Firm, juicy.
Mildly tart to
mildly sweet.
Eating,
cooking,
cider. x x x Medium
Comparison Chart of Apple Varieties Grown [Reference: Old Southern Apples, Creighton Lee Calhoun, Jr.]
Variety
Description, History, and
Orchard Opinion
Origin
Date Apple Color
Disease
Resist. Ripen
Flavor /
Texture Uses Eat Keep Cook Dry Cider
Bearing
Tendency
Buckingham
Origin: uncertain (likely
Virginia). Planted for two
hundred years all over the
South. Settlers spread the
tree widely due to it's good
traits and it's tendency to
sprout. Widely planted and
depended on by Southerners
in the past. A great all
purpose apple used for
eating, cooking, drying and
cider. Calhoun calls it the
"quintessential southern
apple". 1777?
Yellow-red
striped.
Good
(susceptible
to Cedar
Apple Rust)
Sept-
Oct
Crisp. Sprightly
sub acid.
Eating,
cooking,
drying,
cider. x x x x Heavy
Dixie Red Delight
Origin Alabama. Very
popular in early 1900 sold
widely. Sweet, crisp, good for
fresh eating, good keeper.
Probably originated from
seed of a Yellow Transparent.
Vigorous. Referencing
Calhoun fire blight may be a
problem.
early
1900's Red
Good
(possibly
susceptible
fire blight)
Sept-
Oct
Crisp. Mildly
Sweet. Eating x Heavy.
Kinnaird's Choice
Origin Tennessee. Grows in
South well.
LimbertwigxWinesap cross.
Origin TN. Dessert and cider
apple. A pie bakers favorite.
Said to be the finest apple
grown in Tennessee at one
time. 1843 Red Very good.
Sept-
Oct
Firm. Mildly
tart to sweet.
Eating,
cooking. x x x Heavy
Comparison Chart of Apple Varieties Grown [Reference: Old Southern Apples, Creighton Lee Calhoun, Jr.]
Variety
Description, History, and
Orchard Opinion
Origin
Date Apple Color
Disease
Resist. Ripen
Flavor /
Texture Uses Eat Keep Cook Dry Cider
Bearing
Tendency
Mutzu
Origin Japan. Cross Indo and
Golden Delicious. Bears
abundant crops. Great
tasting, spicy. Origin Japan.
Keeps well. Good for
cooking. 1949 Green Good
Sept-
Oct
Crisp. Sweet-
tart. Spicy.
Eating,
cook. x Heavy.
Red Delicious
(Hawkeye)
Origin Iowa. The progenitor
of the well known Red
Delicious. The Hawkeye
delicious is a seedling from a
Yellow Bellflower. It is
immensely more flavorful
than the store bought sport.
Because of its beauty, fine
eating qualities, hardiness
and productiveness, this
variety displaced almost all
the other commercial apples. <1870 Red. Good
Sept-
Oct Crisp. Sweet. Eat. x Heavy.
Roxbury Russet
Origin Massachusetts. A
russet apple. Widely grown
across the South. Widely
known as a great Cider apple.
The oldest American Apple
said to have arrived with the
Pilgrims in Roxbury,
Massachusetts. <1649
Dull green /
russeted. Very Good.
Sept/
Oct
Firm/mild
sweet.
Eating,
cider,
cook. x x x
Heavy.
Annual.
Allum
(Rockingham
Red)
Green-purplish blush. Crisp,
mild tart. Highly valued for
its keeping ability.
Green-
purple blush.
Sept/
Oct Crisp, mild tart.
Keeping,
eating. x x
Comparison Chart of Apple Varieties Grown [Reference: Old Southern Apples, Creighton Lee Calhoun, Jr.]
Variety
Description, History, and
Orchard Opinion
Origin
Date Apple Color
Disease
Resist. Ripen
Flavor /
Texture Uses Eat Keep Cook Dry Cider
Bearing
Tendency
White Winter
Pearmain
Green-yellow. Crisp, mild
sweet. Called the best tasting
apple by some in old reviews.
Widely sold by Old Southern
nurseries.
Green-
yellow.
Sept/
Oct
Crisp, mild
sweet. Eating. x
Ben Davis (Red
Streak)
Red. Very crisp, mild tart-
sweet. Cook, store, and eat.
1800's most important
commercial variety in the US.
Keeps extremely well and is
very tough. Said to keep
until May. Grows rapidly.
Adapts to many climates and
soils. Red.
Sept/
Oct
Very crisp, mild
tart to mild
sweet.
Keep,
cook, eat. x x x
Black Ben Davis
(Gano)
Crimson. Crisp, rich tangy
mild sweet flavor. Stores
well. Considered better
eating apple than the Ben
Davis.
Sept/
Oct
Crisp, tangy
mild sweet
flavor.
Keep,
eat. x x
Virginia Beauty
Origin Virginia. Excellent
eating apple. Grows well on
poor soils including clay.
One of the most beautiful
apples. Adapted to much of
the South. 1810 Red
Good
(resistant to
fire blight)
Sept/
Oct
Mild sweet to
sweet.
Eating,
cooking. x x Medium
Mattamuskeet
Origin North Carolina.
Legendary keeper that is said
to have been stored outdoors
and last until May or June.
Considered the best winter
apple for the low county.
May hang on tree till
November. <1888 Red
Good
(susceptible
to CAR)
Sept
/later
Firm. Slightly
tart improving
in storage.
Keeper,
cooking,
eating. x x x Heavy
Comparison Chart of Apple Varieties Grown [Reference: Old Southern Apples, Creighton Lee Calhoun, Jr.]
Variety
Description, History, and
Orchard Opinion
Origin
Date Apple Color
Disease
Resist. Ripen
Flavor /
Texture Uses Eat Keep Cook Dry Cider
Bearing
Tendency
American Golden
Russet
Origin New Jersey or New
York. Good keeper. Delicious
eating apple with complex
sweet-tart flavor. Old
American Apple. High sugar
content makes it a good cider
apple . Good drying apple. <1800
Russet-
Green
/Yellow
Good
(susceptible
CAR)
Sept-
Nov
Crisp-
crunchy/firm.
Very sweet.
Cider,
Eat, dry. x x x x x
Moderate.
Tip bearer.
King of Pippin
Gold/yellow. Almond like to
vinous flavor. Good eating
and cider apple. Gold/yellow. Oct
Almond like
vinous flavor. Eat x
Shockley
Red. Crisp. Mild sweet to
sweet. Great all purpose
apple: eat, cook, keep, cider,
dry. Legendary keeper.
Heavy bearer. An apple
settlers planted widely and
depended on. One of the
great Southern apples. Red. Oct
Crisp, mild
sweet to sweet.
Eat, cook,
keep,
cider,
dry. x x x x x
Domine (Winter
Rambo)
Red. Firm, mild tart-sweet.
Widely grown in the South
before 1900. Very heavy
bearer and very rapid grower. <1900 Red. Oct
Firm, mild tart-
sweet. Eat. x
Heavy
bearer.
Kidd's Orange
Yellow-red. Firm, complex-
sweet. Considered a great
eating apple. New Zealand. Yellow-red Oct
Firm, complex-
sweet. Eat x
Bentley Sweet
Red. Crisp, sweet. Incredible
storage apple keeping until
May. Good eating and
storage apple. Red Oct Crisp, sweet. Eat, keep. x x
Arkansas Sweet
Dark red. Crisp-crunchy,
sweet. Fair keeper and good
eating apple. Dark red. Oct
Crisp-crunchy,
sweet. Eat. x
Comparison Chart of Apple Varieties Grown [Reference: Old Southern Apples, Creighton Lee Calhoun, Jr.]
Variety
Description, History, and
Orchard Opinion
Origin
Date Apple Color
Disease
Resist. Ripen
Flavor /
Texture Uses Eat Keep Cook Dry Cider
Bearing
Tendency
Doctor Matthews
Yellow/pale red. Crisp/mild
sweet. Great eating apple.
Yellow, pale
red. Oct
Crisp, mild
sweet. Eat. x
Sweet Coppin
Pale yellow. Soft, pure sweet.
Cider apple. Pale yellow. Oct
Soft, pure
sweet. Cider. x
Virginia Gold
Origin Virginia. Cross
Albemarle Pippin and Golden
Delicious (two all time
greats). Store for a few
months for peak distinctive
flavor. Great for pies.
Becoming popular rapidly
because of distinctive taste. 1976 Yellow
Good
(susceptible
CAR) Oct
Crisp. Tart to
mild sweet.
Eating,
cooking,
cider. x x x
Enterprise
Great tasting extremely
disease resistant apple.
Parents include McIntosh,
Golden Delicious, and Rome
Beauty. Store 3-6 months in
refrigeration. Has been
called a disease resistant
Winesap type apple. 1999 Red
Very Good -
never any
issues at TCO. Oct
Crisp/Firm.
Sweet to mildly
tart and mildly
spicy.
Eat,
storage,
cooking. x x x Heavy.
Goldrush
Pollinator. Modern disease
resistant variety. Disease
resistant (scab and mildew).
Tart tang sweetens with age.
Fruits early. Keep 8 months
in refrigeration. Derived from
Golden Delicious. 1999
Green-
Yellow
Good
(susceptible
CAR) Oct
Firm/Crisp.
Tart - sweet.
Eating,
cider,
keep. x x x Very heavy.
Johnson Keeper
Origin North Carolina. Good
eating and storage apple. red Very good. Oct Crisp. Tart.
Eating.
Storage. x x
Joseph Apple
Origin Yugoslavia. Beautiful
red disease resistant apple.
Good for eating, cooking.
Stores well. Red Very Good. Oct
Firm. Mild
sweet.
Eating,
cook. x x
Comparison Chart of Apple Varieties Grown [Reference: Old Southern Apples, Creighton Lee Calhoun, Jr.]
Variety
Description, History, and
Orchard Opinion
Origin
Date Apple Color
Disease
Resist. Ripen
Flavor /
Texture Uses Eat Keep Cook Dry Cider
Bearing
Tendency
Limbertwig, Black
Origin Georgia. Very
resistant to diseases. Prized
for cider and apple butter.
Good keeper. This is a great
tasting apple. <1914 Red-Green. Very good. Oct
Crisp. Sweet to
tart.
Eat, cider,
cook,
keeping. x x x Heavy.
Limbertwig, Red
Royal
One of best apples for fresh
eating, apple butter, and
cider. Keeps well. Red Very good. Oct Crisp. Sweet.
Eating,
cooking,
cider. x x x
Limbertwig,
Royal
Very good Limbertwig variety.
Grows well in South. Sold
widely by old Southern
nurseries. Good for apple
butter. Good eating. 1860 Green-Red Very Good Oct Firm. Sweet.
Eating,
apple
butter. x x Heavy.
Limbertwig,
Swiss
Origin Kentucky? Maroon
colored. Grown by Swiss
settlers. Very good taste,
extremely crisp.
Maroon-
green. Very good. Oct Crisp. Sweet. Eating. x Heavy.
Limbertwig,
Brushy Mountain
Origin North Carolina. Great
eating and keeping apple.
Will keep until June. A
commercial variety at one
time.
unkno
wn Red-yellow. Very good. Oct
Crisp. Juicy
unique
aromatic flavor. Eat, keep. x x Heavy
Comparison Chart of Apple Varieties Grown [Reference: Old Southern Apples, Creighton Lee Calhoun, Jr.]
Variety
Description, History, and
Orchard Opinion
Origin
Date Apple Color
Disease
Resist. Ripen
Flavor /
Texture Uses Eat Keep Cook Dry Cider
Bearing
Tendency
Newtown Pippin
(Albemarle
Pippin)
Origin England. Calhoun calls
this one of the truly great Southern apples. A very interesting history has this apple being sent to Benjamin Franklin while in London.
England developed such a taste for the apple that it became an important export. Susceptible to fire blight and bitter rot. Requires high fertility soil to do
well. Taste improves greatly in storage. Great keeper. Keeps until March in a cellar. <1666 Yellow Good Oct
Crisp.
Aromatic,
mildly sweet.
Eat,
storage,
cook,
cider x x x x Medium
Ralls Janet
Origin Virginia. Good eating,
good keeper. Said to do well
on clay soils. Bears heavily
every year. Often called
neverfail due to its blooming
late and escaping late frosts..
A parent of Fuji. It is
susceptible to fire blight.
Yellow-red fruit color. <1790 Yellow-red.
Good
(susceptible
fire blight) Oct
Crisp. Mild
sweet. Eat, keep. x x Very heavy.
Bramley's
Seedling
Green-red-striped. Tangy,
sharp flavor. Once
considered world's best
cooking apple. Great for
cider.
Green-red
striped.
Oct-
Nov
Tangy, sharp
flavor.
Eat, cook,
cider. x x x
Comparison Chart of Apple Varieties Grown [Reference: Old Southern Apples, Creighton Lee Calhoun, Jr.]
Variety
Description, History, and
Orchard Opinion
Origin
Date Apple Color
Disease
Resist. Ripen
Flavor /
Texture Uses Eat Keep Cook Dry Cider
Bearing
Tendency
Winesap, Old
Fashion
Originated New Jersey. A
favorite Old Fashion apple.
Widely planted and depended
on by Southerners in the past.
Excellent keeper. Excellent
eating. Excellent cider.
Excellent storage. Grows in
all soils including clays. Best
Winesap keeper. Important
commercial variety through
the 19th century. Flavor
improves in storage. A must
have apple for any orchard.
Not a pollinator. 1800 Dark red
Very good -
no issues at
TCO.
Oct-
Nov Firm. Sweet.
Eating,
cider,
keeper. x x x Heavy.
Limbertwig,
Kentucky
Origin Kentucky. Excellent
eating and keeper.
Limbertwig taste. Weeping.
unkno
wn
Green/yello
w-red. Very good.
Oct-
Nov Firm, Crisp.
Eating,
cooking,
keeping. x x x Heavy
Limbertwig,
Levering
Origin Southwest Virginia.
Smokey Limbertwig flavor.
Weeping habit. Excellent
keeper and cider apple. Red-yellow. Very good.
Oct-
Nov
Very firm,
crunchy.
Smokey
Limbertwig
flavor.
Eat, cider,
keeper. x x x
Granny Smith
Origin Australia. Pollinator.
Very heavy bearer. Good
keeper. Fresh grown much
better than store bought. 1868 Green Good
Oct-
Nov
Crisp. Tart-
sweet.
Sauce,
juice, eat,
storage,
cook. x x x Heavy.
Comparison Chart of Apple Varieties Grown [Reference: Old Southern Apples, Creighton Lee Calhoun, Jr.]
Variety
Description, History, and
Orchard Opinion
Origin
Date Apple Color
Disease
Resist. Ripen
Flavor /
Texture Uses Eat Keep Cook Dry Cider
Bearing
Tendency
Hall
Origin North Carolina. Said to
be progenitor of the Magnum
Bonum. An excellent keeper
keeping until May. Great
tasting apple. Both the tree
and fruit are small. The
combination of good fresh
eating and great keeper are a
rare combination in a
southern apple that made it
very popular at one time. <1800 Red Good
Oct
/Nov
Tender. Mild
sweet.
Eating,
storage. x x Heavy
Terry Winter
Origin Georgia. Adapted to
all growing conditions
including Southern
conditions. One of the best
keeping apples. Unique nutty
flavor. <1868 Red
Very good -
no issues at
TOC.
Oct-
Nov Crisp. Sweet.
Keep,
Eating x x Heavy.
Winesap, Virginia
Origin Virginia. Sport of
Winesap that is darker red.
See above description for Old
Fashioned Winesap. 1922 Red Very good.
Oct-
Nov
Firm. Sweet
with a twang.
Eating,
cider,
keeper. x x x Heavy.
York Imperial
Red. Crisp, sprightly subacid.
Important commercial variety
for many years. Most apple
sauce still comes from this
apple. Excellent eating,
cooking, and sauce apple.
Good keeper. Red
Oct-
Dec
Crisp, sprightly
subacid.
Eat, cook,
sauce. x x
Comparison Chart of Apple Varieties Grown [Reference: Old Southern Apples, Creighton Lee Calhoun, Jr.]
Variety
Description, History, and
Orchard Opinion
Origin
Date Apple Color
Disease
Resist. Ripen
Flavor /
Texture Uses Eat Keep Cook Dry Cider
Bearing
Tendency
Arkansas Black
Origin Arkansas. Hardy,
vigorous, heavy bearer.
Disease resistant (especially
Cedar Apple Rust)
(susceptible to Apple Scab).
One of the best keepers.
Thought to be Winesap
seedling. Rock-hard at
harvest, softening and
improving flavor in storage.
Another must have Heritage
Apple. 1870
Dark red
with Black
tendency.
Very Good -
never any
issues at TCO.
(others note
susceptible to
Apple Scab) Nov
Crisp / Firm /
moderately
juicy. Mildly
sweet to mildly
tart.
Eat, cook,
keep,
juice. x x x Heavy
Limbertwig, Red
(Old Fashioned)
Origin North Georgia. One of
oldest limbertwigs. Weeping
habit. Excellent keeper.
Good for pies, jelly and cider.
Very heavy bearer and very
good disease resistance. 1882
Red-
green/yellow
Very good -
never any
issues at TCO. Nov
Firm, crisp.
Sweet.
Pies, jelly,
cider,
eating,
keeping. x x x x Very Heavy.
Yates
Origin Georgia. Good
pollinator. Small, old favorite,
heavy bearer, easy to grow,
good wildlife apple, very good
keeper. Grows all regions
mountains to coast. Bears
young. Will keep to April.
Another must have old apple
variety. 1844 Red
Very Good -
never any
issues at TCO. Nov Tender. Sweet.
Keep, Eat,
cider. x x x Heavy.
Keener
Origin North Carolina. One of
the latest apples. Good
eating, cooking, drying and
keeper. Apples can hang on
the tree until December. <1880 Russet. Very good.
Dec -
Oct.
Crisp. Mildly
sweet.
Eat, cook,
storage. x x x x Very Heavy