Known in England since the 1600's, Gillet began offering it in 1880. Thought to be one of the parents of Golden Delicious. Attractive yellow skin is flushed and streaked red, dotted with russets. Crisp, yellow deep cream flesh with pleasantly sweet-subacid flavor. Excellent for fresh eating, juice, cooking and cider. Ripens in late October at 4100' and is a good keeper, improving in flavor while in storage. Moderately vigorous tree is hardy, scab and fireblight resistant.

The mother tree grows at Bucks Ranch, Nevada County near Orleans Flat mining camp at 4100 feet on the San Juan Ridge overlooking the Middle Fork of the Yuba River. The Buck brothers homesteaded this property in the late 1870’s, in part to provide fruit for the thriving mining camp. Amigo’s odyssey with Felix Gillet began in 1970 when he stumbled on this abandoned homestead with more than 75 thriving ancient fruit and nut trees, planted by the Bucks’ from stock purchased from Felix Gillet, the “local” nursery guy, a days horse ride away in Nevada City. The only thing tending those trees in the 70’s were the bears! We began harvesting the fruit and nuts, and discovered their amazing quality, and the trees were healthy despite annual onslaughts from the bears and heavy snows. Now cared for once again, the trees get no irrigation, fertilization or pest management, just occasional pruning. And they still produce great crops, 140 years after they were planted!