An 1850s introduction from London, this old-fashioned English culinary apple is one of the best for any recipe that calls for an apple to keep its shape when cooked. Also excellent for stewing or sauce. Fruit are so sweet sugar is not needed. Keeps 3 or more months. Medium Vitamin C content - enough so that the flesh does not brown when cut open. An easy variety to grow, fairly resistant to most diseases and resistant to spring frosts. A notable feature is the attractive maroon blossoms. Tree is medium to large sized, self-fertile, however, pollination from another apple will maximize its yield. Somewhat resistant to scab and mildew. To date we note the mother tree is completely resistant to codling moth, the worm found in many apples and pears.

Our wild grandmother tree grows in a very old homestead, mixed orchard in the old mining town of Pike City, Sierra County @ 3500’. The trees have outlived the structures, as there is no trace of them. Pike is 8.5 miles west of Alleghany and was named after Pike County, Missouri. The post office in opened in 1877. The population was 134 at the 2010 census. We have discovered numerous new-to-us varieties of apples and pears at this location that we will be introducing over the next few seasons.