Hewes Crabalso called Hugh’s Crab or Virginia Crab
Virginia, early 18th century or earlier.
Private CollectionRare & Historic
The Living Museum
A quiet archive of heirloom and historic apples, kept alive at Honey Tree Orchard in Cedar Bluff, Virginia
Every apple in this collection exists only because someone kept it alive. Apple seeds don’t grow true, so each of these old varieties has been carried forward by hand, one graft at a time, some of them for centuries. A few were nearly lost. Here they are tagged, recorded, and growing again, so they can be handed on.
A Note from the Keeper
A tree in the ground is a claim of survival
Historic apple cultivars are kept alive by grafting, not by seed. A name on a nursery tag is a claim of identity; a tree in the ground is a claim of survival.
At Honey Tree Orchard & Apiary, we keep our apple collection of historically significant varieties—some centuries old, some rare, some nearly lost. It holds 116 varieties today: 454 living trees across 21 varieties in the orchard (counted September 30, 2026), and about 250 grafts of 95 more varieties in the greenhouse, ready to plant in April 2027. Scion wood for 72 more varieties is coming for spring 2027 grafting.
My long-term goal is to create a living legacy through the documentation, evaluation, and preservation of these historically significant varieties, preserving agricultural biodiversity for future generations.
— D.R. “Denny” Goss
116varieties in the collection
454Planted in the orchard: 454 trees (21 varieties)
~250Grafted in the greenhouse: about 250 trees (95 varieties), to be planted April 2027
188varieties in our apple collection, counting spring 2027 grafting
Trees in the ground counted September 30, 2026.
How It Is Kept
How the Collection Works
01
Grafted by hand
Apple seeds don’t grow “true”—a seed from a Roxbury Russet won’t grow into a Roxbury Russet. The only way to keep a historic variety alive is to graft a cutting (called scion wood) from a known tree onto new roots. Each tree in our collection is propagated by hand.
02
A tag on every tree
Every living tree in the orchard carries a permanent embossed aluminum identity tag, so its name stays with it for life. We keep a written record of every tree.
03
Checking identity with DNA
Old apples are often sold under the wrong name. To make sure our rarest trees are what their labels say, we are having them DNA identity-tested through Washington State University’s MyFruitTree project. Testing is underway for rare varieties such as Decio, Taliaferro, Junaluska, Pendragon, Patte de Loup, and Bardsey.
04
Bees in the orchard
Our hives live right among the trees.
05
Where it’s headed
A named living collection that can be inherited, plus a written record—and, eventually, a public book of cultivar life histories.
The Archive
All 116 Varieties
Search by name, place, or era, or filter by where each tree is growing and how the apple is used. Choose any variety to read its history, folklore, taste, and season.
Varieties marked Portrait to be revealed are in the collection but not yet pictured.
Where it’s growing
Type
Showing all 116 varieties
Acklam Russet
- Origin
- Acklam, Yorkshire, England (probably the Acklam near Malton); first recorded 1768
- Era
- c. 1768
- Use
- Dessert (Russet)
Ambrosia
- Origin
- Near Cawston, British Columbia, Canada
- Era
- 1980s
- Use
- Dessert · Fresh eating
Amère de Berthecourt
- Origin
- Berthecourt (Oise), Picardy, France; seedling sown 1848
- Era
- Sown 1848
- Use
- Cider (Bittersweet)
Annurca
- Origin
- Campania region of Italy; on record since at least 1583, and traditionally linked to Roman times
- Era
- Ancient / centuries old
- Use
- Dessert · Fresh eating
Antoinette
- Origin
- Rouen area, Normandy, France
- Era
- Traditional French (pre-20th c.)
- Use
- Cider (Bittersweet)
Api Etoile
- Origin
- France; member of the ancient Api (Lady Apple) family
- Era
- Old French (Api group)
- Use
- Dessert · Fresh (Lady type)
Api Noir
- Origin
- France; another member of the Api / Lady Apple group
- Era
- Old French (Api group)
- Use
- Dessert · Fresh (Lady type)
Arkansas Black
- Origin
- Benton County, Arkansas, first fruiting about 1870 in a Mr. Brathwaite's orchard near Bentonville
- Era
- c. 1870
- Use
- Dessert · Dual-purpose · Cider
Ashmead Kernel
- Origin
- Gloucester, England, raised by Dr. Ashmead around 1700
- Era
- c. 1700
- Use
- Dessert
Baldwin
- Origin
- Wilmington, Massachusetts, a chance seedling on John Ball's farm around 1740
- Era
- c. 1740
- Use
- Dessert · Dual-purpose
Bardsey (Afal Enlli)
- Origin
- Bardsey Island (Ynys Enlli), off the tip of the Llŷn Peninsula, North Wales
- Era
- Found 1998 (a medieval origin is claimed but unproven)
- Use
- Dessert · Fresh eating
Bedan
- Origin
- Normandy, France
- Era
- Traditional French
- Use
- Cider (Bittersweet)
Belle de Boskoop
- Origin
- Boskoop, Netherlands, found by K.J.W. Ottolander in 1856; probably a sport (a mutated branch) of Reinette de Montfort
- Era
- c. 1856
- Use
- Culinary · Dual-purpose
Black Limbertwig
- Origin
- Southern Appalachians; first documented in middle Tennessee (1886); DNA matches Winesap
- Era
- Southern Appalachian landrace / Limbertwig complex
- Use
- Dessert · Dual-purpose · Cider
Black Oxford
- Origin
- Paris, Oxford County, Maine, about 1790
- Era
- c. 1790
- Use
- Dessert
Blenheim Orange
- Origin
- Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England; found by Mr Kempster in a cottage garden beside Blenheim Park around 1740
- Era
- c. 1740
- Use
- Dual-purpose
Bloody Ploughman
- Origin
- Carse of Gowrie, Scotland; recorded 1883
- Era
- Recorded 1883
- Use
- Cider · Culinary · Novelty
Blue Pearmain
- Origin
- Probably New England (origin uncertain); known in the early 1800s
- Era
- Early 1800s (in print by 1833)
- Use
- Dual-purpose · Cider
Bramley's Seedling
- Origin
- Southwell, Nottinghamshire, England
- Era
- c. 1809–1813
- Use
- Culinary
Breakwell's Seedling
- Origin
- Perthyre Farm, Monmouth, Wales (on the Herefordshire border), late 1800s
- Era
- Late 1800s
- Use
- Cider (Bittersweet)
Brown Snout
- Origin
- Herefordshire, England
- Era
- 19th c. or earlier
- Use
- Cider (Bittersweet)
Campfield
- Origin
- New Jersey, early 19th century or earlier
- Era
- Early 1800s or earlier
- Use
- Cider
Carter's Blue
- Origin
- Mount Meigs, near Montgomery, Alabama; first grown in the 1840s
- Era
- 1840s (Alabama)
- Use
- Dessert · Fresh eating
Catshead
- Origin
- England; name appears in records from the 17th–18th centuries or earlier
- Era
- 17th–18th c. or earlier
- Use
- Culinary · Dual-purpose
Christkindler
- Origin
- Upper Rhine: Mittelbaden, Alsace and the Basel region; probably 17th century
- Era
- Traditional Central European
- Use
- Dessert · Dual (late)
Cinnamon Spice
- Origin
- Probably Laxton's Fortune (Bedford, England, raised 1904), renamed after it was found at Bolinas, California
- Era
- Raised 1904 in England (if Laxton's Fortune); named in California later
- Use
- Dessert · Fresh eating
Claygate Pearmain
- Origin
- Claygate, Surrey, England, discovered by John Braddick around 1821–1822
- Era
- c. 1821–22
- Use
- Dessert
Coeur de Boeuf
- Origin
- France; known before 1200 under older names (Rouveau, Sanguine)
- Era
- Medieval (before 1200); present name from the 1700s
- Use
- Dual-purpose · Culinary
Colorado Orange
- Origin
- Florence, Fremont County, Colorado
- Era
- c. 1860s
- Use
- Dessert · Dual-purpose
Cornish Gilliflower
- Origin
- Cottage garden near Truro, Cornwall, England
- Era
- Found c. 1800; introduced 1813
- Use
- Dessert
Court Pendu Plat
- Origin
- Continental Europe, probably France; first described about 1613 and believed much older; Roman antecedents claimed but unproven
- Era
- 16th–17th c. (claims older)
- Use
- Dessert
Cox's Orange Pippin
- Origin
- Raised by Richard Cox at Colnbrook Lawn on the Buckinghamshire/Berkshire border around 1825, from a seed of Ribston Pippin
- Era
- c. 1825
- Use
- Dessert
Crow Egg
- Origin
- United States; place of origin unrecorded; in print by 1832
- Era
- 19th century or earlier (American)
- Use
- Dual-purpose · Cider
Dabinett
- Origin
- Middle Lambrook–Kingsbury Episcopi area, Somerset, England
- Era
- Mid-to-late 1800s (first recorded 1896)
- Use
- Cider (Bittersweet)
D'Arcy Spice
- Origin
- Tolleshunt D'Arcy, Essex, England; found in the garden of The Hall around 1785 (also known as Baddow Pippin)
- Era
- c. 1785–1800
- Use
- Dessert
Dauglykke
- Origin
- Denmark or Scandinavia
- Era
- Old Danish (documented from Jensen garden, Dauglykke)
- Use
- Dessert · Dual-purpose
Decio
- Origin
- Northern Italy (Veneto and Emilia-Romagna)
- Era
- Claimed 5th c. / ancient Italian
- Use
- Dessert
Devonshire Crimson Queen
- Origin
- Tamar Valley on the Devon–Cornwall border, probably near St Dominic, Cornwall
- Era
- First recorded 1953 (thought to be much older)
- Use
- Dessert
Devonshire Quarrenden
- Origin
- Devon, England; documented by the 17th–18th centuries
- Era
- 17th–18th c.
- Use
- Dessert · Fresh eating
Dolgo Crabapple
- Origin
- Russia; introduced to North America by Professor N.E. Hansen of South Dakota in the early 20th century
- Era
- Early 20th c. intro (Russian)
- Use
- Crab · Jelly · Pollinator
Duchess of Oldenburg
- Origin
- Russia / Eastern Europe (Borovinka and related forms)
- Era
- 18th–19th c. intro
- Use
- Culinary · Fresh eating (early)
Duck's Bill
- Origin
- Sussex, England (exact origin unrecorded)
- Era
- Old Sussex (sent to trials 1937)
- Use
- Dessert
Duke of Devonshire
- Origin
- Holker Hall, Lancashire, England; raised 1835
- Era
- Raised 1835; introduced c. 1875
- Use
- Dessert
Edelborsdorfer
- Origin
- Germany / Central Europe; one of the oldest documented German apples, with references reaching into the medieval or early modern period (associated with the Borsdorf region)
- Era
- Medieval / early modern German
- Use
- Dessert
Ellis Bitter
- Origin
- Newton St Cyres, Devon, England
- Era
- West Country traditional
- Use
- Cider (Bittersharp/Bittersweet)
Enigma
- Origin
- Uncertain — possibly Norkent (Morden, Manitoba, 1990), of which "Enigma" is a listed synonym, or an unnamed seedling
- Era
- 20th century (appears in MN / Botner material)
- Use
- Dessert · Fresh (very early)
Esopus Spitzenburg
- Origin
- Esopus, Ulster County, New York, before 1790
- Era
- Before 1790
- Use
- Dessert
Fameuse
- Origin
- Quebec / Montreal region of Canada, early 18th century or earlier (also known as Snow Apple)
- Era
- Early 18th c. or earlier
- Use
- Dessert · Fresh eating
Fillbarrel
- Origin
- Somerset, England; 19th century
- Era
- 19th century
- Use
- Cider · Dual-purpose
Fireside
- Origin
- University of Minnesota breeding program; introduced 1943 (MN 993); Wealthy × Northwest Greening by DNA
- Era
- Introduced 1943
- Use
- Dessert · Fresh eating
Foxwhelp
- Origin
- Gloucestershire or Herefordshire, England; documented from the 17th–18th centuries
- Era
- 17th–18th c.
- Use
- Cider (Bittersharp)
Giant Russian Crab
- Origin
- Russia or Central Asia (red-fleshed Malus material circulated in North American collections as Giant Russian Crab)
- Era
- Russian / Central Asian material
- Use
- Cider · Novelty · Ornamental
Ginger Gold
- Origin
- Virginia, USA; chance seedling discovered by Clyde Harvey and introduced commercially in the late 20th century
- Era
- Late 20th c.
- Use
- Dessert · Fresh eating (early)
Golden Harvey
- Origin
- England (Herefordshire area), 17th–18th century or earlier; also known as Brandy Apple
- Era
- 17th–18th c. or earlier
- Use
- Dessert
Golden Russet
- Origin
- Multiple strains on both sides of the Atlantic from the 18th–19th centuries
- Era
- 18th–19th c. strains
- Use
- Dessert
Goldrush
- Origin
- PRI (Purdue–Rutgers–Illinois) cooperative breeding program (Golden Delicious × Co-op 17); released 1994
- Era
- Released 1994
- Use
- Dessert · Fresh eating
Granniewinkle
- Origin
- Eastern New Jersey (per William Coxe, 1817); rare
- Era
- In print by 1817 (New Jersey)
- Use
- Dessert · Dual-purpose (uncertain)
Granny Smith
- Origin
- Eastwood, near Ryde (now part of Sydney), New South Wales, Australia; chance seedling on Maria Ann Smith's orchard around 1868
- Era
- c. 1868
- Use
- Dessert · Fresh eating · Culinary
Gravenstein
- Origin
- Europe (exact country debated — Italy, Germany, or Denmark); known by the 17th century and brought early to North America
- Era
- By 17th c.
- Use
- Dessert · Fresh eating
Grimes Golden
- Origin
- Brooke County, West Virginia; found on Thomas Grimes's land, bearing by 1802–1804
- Era
- c. 1802–1804
- Use
- Dessert
Hagloe Crab
- Origin
- Hagloe, in the parish of Awre, Gloucestershire, England; credited to Mr. Bellamy of Hagloe, about 1720 or earlier
- Era
- About 1720 or earlier
- Use
- Cider (Crab)
Harrison
- Origin
- Essex County, New Jersey (Newark–Orange area), around 1712
- Era
- c. 1712; famous by 1817
- Use
- Cider
Hewes Crab
- Origin
- Virginia, early 18th century or earlier (also written Hughes or Hugh's Crab; the "Virginia Crab" sold today is a different, later apple)
- Era
- Early 18th c. or earlier
- Use
- Cider (Crab) · Pollinator
Hidden Rose
- Origin
- Airlie, Oregon, USA: a tree on Lucky Newell's farm after 1959, named Hidden Rose by Louis Kimzey in the 1980s (also sold as Airlie Red Flesh and Mountain Rose)
- Era
- 20th c.
- Use
- Dessert · Fresh eating · Novelty
Himbeerapfel von Holovousy
- Origin
- Holovousy region, Czech Republic / Bohemia
- Era
- Czech (Holovousy breeding region)
- Use
- Dessert
Honey Cider
- Origin
- Uncertain
- Era
- American or English (sparse records)
- Use
- Cider · Dual-purpose
Honeycrisp
- Origin
- University of Minnesota; released 1991 (Keepsake × MN 1627, a Duchess of Oldenburg × Golden Delicious selection, by DNA)
- Era
- Released 1991
- Use
- Dessert · Fresh eating
Jonagold
- Origin
- Golden Delicious × Jonathan; bred at Geneva, New York (Cornell / NY State Agricultural Experiment Station); selected 1953, introduced 1968
- Era
- Selected 1953; introduced 1968
- Use
- Dessert · Dual-purpose
Junaluska
- Origin
- Cherokee country of western North Carolina; known by the 1850s
- Era
- Pre-Civil War (Cherokee country, NC); rediscovered 2001
- Use
- Dessert · Fresh eating · Cider
Keepsake
- Origin
- University of Minnesota; introduced 1978 (MN 1593; MN 447 × Northern Spy)
- Era
- Introduced 1978
- Use
- Dessert · Fresh eating
King David
- Origin
- Washington County, Arkansas; found in a hedgerow in 1893 and introduced by Stark Bros. of Missouri in 1902 (often said to be Jonathan × Arkansas Black, but unproven)
- Era
- Found 1893; introduced 1902
- Use
- Dessert · Dual-purpose
Kingston Black
- Origin
- Kingston, near Taunton, Somerset, England (believed); in Herefordshire by about 1820
- Era
- Known by about 1820
- Use
- Cider (Bittersharp)
Knobbed Russet
- Origin
- Midhurst, Sussex, England; first shown in 1820 by Haslar Capron
- Era
- Known by 1820
- Use
- Dessert (Russet)
Lady
- Origin
- France; the classic Lady Apple (Api), recorded in 1628 and dated by Leroy to the late 1500s (possibly from the Forest of Apis, Brittany)
- Era
- Late 1500s; recorded 1628
- Use
- Dessert · Fresh (Lady Apple)
Liberty
- Origin
- New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva (Cornell); from a 1955 cross (Macoun × Purdue 54-12) using Purdue disease-resistance stock; introduced 1978
- Era
- Released 1978
- Use
- Dessert · Fresh eating
Limbertwig Ruby
- Origin
- Southern Appalachians; an obscure Limbertwig from the collection of Robert Dudney of Gainesboro, Tennessee
- Era
- Appalachian (Limbertwig strain)
- Use
- Dessert · Dual-purpose
Lubsk Queen
- Origin
- Russia; imported to the United States by the USDA in 1870 (No. 444)
- Era
- Imported 1870
- Use
- Dessert (uncertain)
Mank's Codlin
- Origin
- Ballanard, Isle of Man; raised by Mr Kewley, first fruited 1815
- Era
- First fruited 1815
- Use
- Culinary (Codlin type)
McIntosh
- Origin
- McIntosh family farm, Ontario, Canada, around 1811
- Era
- c. 1811
- Use
- Dessert · Fresh eating
Mela Carla
- Origin
- Italy: said to be from Finale Ligure, Trentino or Calabria (probably Liguria)
- Era
- First described 1817; thought to be much older
- Use
- Dessert
Milo Gibson
- Origin
- Probably Oregon; a chance seedling found by Milo Gibson and first named Linnton
- Era
- Before 1975 (Linnton, Oregon)
- Use
- Dessert · Fresh eating
Morgan's Sweet
- Origin
- Uncertain; the only recorded Morgan's Sweet is a Somerset apple, exhibited in 1883
- Use
- Dessert · Culinary (Sweet type)
Mutsu (Crispin)
- Origin
- Aomori Apple Experiment Station, Japan (Golden Delicious × Indo); crossed c. 1930, released 1948; known in Europe as Crispin
- Era
- Crossed c. 1930; released 1948
- Use
- Dessert · Fresh eating
Nero
- Origin
- Princeton, New Jersey; thought lost, then found by David Benscoter in an 1888 homestead orchard on Steptoe Butte, Washington (reported 2015)
- Era
- Early 20th c. (rediscovered)
- Use
- Dessert · Dual-purpose
Newtown Pippin
- Origin
- Newtown (now Elmhurst), Queens, New York, early 18th century
- Era
- Early 18th c.
- Use
- Dessert
Niedzwetzkyana Crab
- Origin
- Central Asia / Kazakhstan region (Malus niedzwetzkyana and related wild red-fleshed material)
- Era
- Central Asian wild / near-wild
- Use
- Crab · Ornamental · Breeding
Northern Spy
- Origin
- East Bloomfield, Ontario County, New York, early 19th century
- Era
- Early 19th c.
- Use
- Dessert
Orleans Reinette
- Origin
- France (probably the Orléans district); first described by Knoop in 1766
- Era
- First described 1766
- Use
- Dessert (Reinette)
Otterson
- Origin
- Fameuse × Malus niedzwetzkyana; entered the USDA apple collection in 1992 (breeder unrecorded)
Patte de Loup
- Origin
- Anjou, western France (the Beaupréau district, Maine-et-Loire), where it was already very old in 1867; recorded by 1830
- Era
- Old; recorded by 1830
- Use
- Dessert · Culinary
Pearmain
- Origin
- ‘Pearmain’ is an old class name for conical, aromatic English apples rather than a single variety
- Era
- Varies (Pearmain class)
- Use
- Dessert
Pendragon
- Origin
- Cornwall, England; found as a single tree by James Evans around the early 1980s and named by him. Claims of a 12th-century origin are unsupported
- Era
- Found about the early 1980s (12th-century claim unsupported)
- Use
- Dessert · Cider · Novelty
Piel de Sapo
- Origin
- Northern Spain
- Era
- Traditional northern Spanish
- Use
- Dessert · Dual-purpose (uncertain)
Pink Pearl
- Origin
- California, USA, 20th century
- Era
- 20th c. California
- Use
- Dessert · Fresh eating · Novelty
Pitmaston Pineapple
- Origin
- Worcestershire, England: raised about 1785 by Mr White, steward at Witley (National Fruit Collection), or by Mr Williams of Pitmaston (Hogg), who in any case introduced it
- Era
- c. 1785–1830
- Use
- Dessert
Purpurroter Cousinot
- Origin
- Probably the Netherlands (described by Knoop in 1766); later grown mainly in Germany
- Era
- Described 1766
- Use
- Dessert
Red Devil
- Origin
- Faversham, Kent, England; raised in 1975 by Hugh Ermen
- Era
- 1975
- Use
- Dessert · Fresh eating
Redstreak
- Origin
- Herefordshire, England; arose about the start of the 17th century and was spread by Viscount Scudamore
- Era
- Early 17th c.
- Use
- Dual-purpose · Cider
Ribston Pippin
- Origin
- Ribston Hall, Yorkshire, England, between about 1688 and 1707 (seed said to have come from Rouen)
- Era
- c. 1688–1707
- Use
- Dessert
Roxbury Russet
- Origin
- Roxbury, Massachusetts; traditionally early 17th century, first documented soon after 1649
- Era
- Early 17th c. (traditional); recorded c. 1649
- Use
- Dessert · Dual-purpose · Cider
Sangre de Toro
- Origin
- Galicia, northwestern Spain (according to the Pomiferous database)
- Era
- Unknown (Spanish-language name)
- Use
- Novelty · Cider · Dessert (uncertain)
Smith's Cider
- Origin
- Bucks County, Pennsylvania (Berks County in one register); described by William Coxe in 1817
- Era
- Described 1817
- Use
- Cider
Spartan
- Origin
- Summerland, British Columbia, Canada; a 1926 cross by R.C. Palmer of McIntosh with an unknown pollen parent (long thought to be Newtown Pippin)
- Era
- Crossed 1926
- Use
- Dessert · Fresh eating
Stoke Red
- Origin
- Rodney Stoke, Rodney Stoke, Rodney Stoke, Somerset, England; noticed in surveys of the 1920s; noticed in surveys of the 1920s; noticed in surveys of the 1920s
- Era
- Noticed in the 1920s; older
- Use
- Cider (Bittersharp)
Taliaferro
- Origin
- Near Williamsburg, Virginia; a seedling found by Major Taliaferro and praised by Thomas Jefferson (1816, 1826) for exceptionally fine cider
- Era
- Early 19th c. (Jefferson era)
- Use
- Cider
Thornberry
- Origin
- Humboldt County, California; bred by Albert Etter in the early 1940s (selection Etter 16-32) and registered as Thornberry in 1990
- Era
- Bred early 1940s; named 1990
Tolman Sweet
- Origin
- New England, probably Massachusetts (perhaps Dorchester); first described in 1822
- Era
- Described 1822; probably older
- Use
- Dessert · Culinary (Sweet type)
Vanilla Pippin
- Origin
- Probably California's central coast (an abandoned orchard near Santa Cruz, by unverified reports)
- Use
- Dessert (uncertain)
Violette
- Origin
- France; dated by Leroy to the late 1500s and grown at Orléans by 1628; the name means ‘Violet’
- Era
- Late 16th c.; recorded 1628
- Use
- Dessert
Westfield Seek-No-Further
- Origin
- Westfield, Massachusetts, late 18th century
- Era
- Late 18th c.
- Use
- Dessert
White Winter Pearmain
- Origin
- Probably an old eastern U.S. variety, renamed in Indiana after its label was lost; recorded 1849; also known as American White Winter Pearmain
- Era
- Early 19th c. or earlier
- Use
- Dessert
Winesap
- Origin
- United States, birthplace unrecorded (often placed in West Jersey); first described by William Coxe in 1817; widely grown by the mid-1800s
- Era
- Described 1817; older
- Use
- Dessert · Dual-purpose · Cider
Wyken Pippin
- Origin
- Wyken, near Coventry, Warwickshire, England; said to have come from continental seed, early 18th century or earlier
- Era
- 18th c. or earlier
- Use
- Dessert
Yarlington Mill
- Origin
- Yarlington, near North Cadbury, Somerset, England
- Era
- Known by 1903
- Use
- Cider (Bittersweet)
Yellow Transparent
- Origin
- Russia or the Baltic region; imported to the United States by the USDA in 1870
- Era
- 19th c. intro (Baltic/Russian)
- Use
- Culinary · Fresh (very early)
York Imperial
- Origin
- York County, Pennsylvania, early 19th century (c. 1820–1830s)
- Era
- c. 1820–1830s
- Use
- Dual-purpose · Processing · Cider · Fresh eating
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Campfield, Newtown Pippin, and Black Limbertwig grow in the orchard and also have grafts in the greenhouse, to be planted April 2027.
Pictures are public domain, Creative Commons licensed, or reused under the UK Open Government Licence. See the image credits.
In the Greenhouse
Coming in April 2027
These trees are already growing in our greenhouse and will be planted in the orchard in April 2027. A few highlights:
Taliaferro
Virginia; praised by Thomas Jefferson in the early 19th century for exceptionally fine cider.
Junaluska
Southern Appalachians, Cherokee country of North Carolina; a pre–Civil War apple rediscovered in 2001.
Esopus Spitzenburg
Esopus, Ulster County, New York, before 1790.
Kingston Black
Somerset or Devon, England; a classic cider apple.
Golden Russet
Old strains on both sides of the Atlantic, 18th–19th century.
BardseyAfal Enlli
Bardsey Island, off North Wales; discovered 1998–99 and possibly medieval.
Pendragon
Cornwall or Devon, England; claimed by some sources to date to the 12th century or earlier.
Patte de Loup
Northwest France (Normandy or Brittany); medieval or early modern.
Decio
Italy; claimed to date back to ancient times.
Cox's Orange Pippin
Raised by Richard Cox in England around 1825.
Bramley's Seedling
Southwell, Nottinghamshire, England, c. 1809–1813.
Also coming: scion wood for 72 more varieties is coming for spring 2027 grafting, including Summer Rambo (France, 1535), Calville Blanc (first recorded 1598), and Rhode Island Greening (Rhode Island, 1650s).
New to our apple collection for spring 2027 grafting: Almata, a red-fleshed apple bred by Niels Hansen in Brookings, South Dakota, and introduced in 1942; Raven, a red-fleshed cider apple from Waldron Island, Washington; and White Jersey, a bittersweet cider apple from Somerset, England, recorded in the 19th century.
The collection is always growing; check back.
Coming Early 2027 · By Inquiry
Carry a tree forward
Every variety in this archive survives because someone grafted it. Soon you’ll be able to join that line: dormant scion wood from our in-ground heirloom trees, and new trees grafted from your own family tree.
Curious about a variety?
Email us at drgoss@honeytreeorchard.com.