From the Living Museum
Pink Pearl
- Origin
- California, USA, 20th century
- Era
- 20th c. California
- Type / use
- Dessert · Fresh eating · Novelty
History & Stories
Modern red-fleshed variety selected for novelty and ornamental value. Yellow skin with pink blush and bright pink flesh; sweet mild flavor with berry notes and attractive pink blossoms. Unique as one of the more widely available and pleasant modern pink-fleshed apples.
Folklore & Name
Modern California red-fleshed selection. Name describes the bright pink flesh. Popular novelty and dessert variety with attractive blossoms.
Digging into the History
Below my own notes, here is what the old fruit books and today’s collections record about this apple, kept apart from the stories people tell.
What we know
Pink Pearl was bred by Albert F. Etter of Ettersburg, California. His U.S. Plant Patent 723, filed on 23 June 1944 and granted on 4 March 1947 (assigned to George C. Roeding Jr. of the California Nursery Company in Niles), gives its origin as "a seedling of 'Surprise'," an older pink-fleshed apple. The patent describes fruit with a "transparent skin which glows with the color of the pink flesh beneath," ripening in September 1.
What we think: stories & traditions
A breeder's eye. The patent's description is unusually poetic for a legal document. It speaks of the "startling bouquet, discovered with the first bite into the fruit" 1. That gives a sense of how excited Etter was about this apple.
The patent also notes how it differs from its parent: Surprise has darker, smoother leaves and darker pink blossom 1. The patent is our only primary source here, so we haven't repeated the many later stories about Etter's life and methods.
Sources
- Albert F. Etter, U.S. Plant Patent 723, "Apple Tree" (filed 23 June 1944; granted 4 March 1947). patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/00/89/4f/038db435818692/USPP723.pdf
Curious about Pink Pearl?
Email us at drgoss@honeytreeorchard.com.