Brandywine
Apple
Brandywine
Origin / History
Found on the edge of the prairie, east of Quincy, Illinois, in the orchard of K. K. Jones, Esq., where it was supposed to have been brought from the State of Delaware (Warder). Downing gives the origin as unknown.
Tree
Large, vigorous, spreading and productive.
Fruit
Size: Medium to above medium.
Form: Oblate to roundish conical, slightly conic, regular; slightly ribbed, a little oblique (Downing).
Stem: Very short to short; small (Downing).
Cavity: Acute, regular, green (Warder); deep (Downing).
Calyx: Closed, or partially open (Downing); eye small (Warder).
Basin: Shallow, abrupt, regular (Warder); large (Downing).
Skin: Smooth; greenish (Warder) or yellowish (Downing), covered with confused stripes of dull red (Warder), or shaded, splashed, and striped with red over half to two-thirds of the surface (Downing).
Dots: Scattered, white (Warder); many, large, light (Downing).
Flesh and flavor: Greenish-white (Warder) or yellowish (Downing); fine-grained (Warder), crisp (Downing), tender, juicy. Flavor subacid, aromatic (Warder), slightly aromatic, mild, somewhat rich (Downing). Quality "only good" (Warder); "Good to very good" (Downing).
Core and seeds: Core small; round, closed, clasping; seeds imperfect (Warder).
Season
November to February. Downing gives the whole span; Warder gives January, February.
Uses
Table and kitchen (Warder).
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 2 catalogs (1901–1913) from Illinois
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
View original book sources (2)
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Brandywine.
This apple was found on the edge of the prairie, east of Quincy, Illinois, in the orchard of K. K. Jones, Esq., where it was supposed to have been brought from the State of Delaware.
Tree large, vigorous, spreading and productive.
Fruit medium, oblate, roundish, slightly conic, regular; surface smooth, greenish, covered with confused stripes of dull red; Dots scattered, white.
Basin shallow, abrupt, regular; Eye small, closed.
Cavity acute, regular, green; Stem very short.
Core small, round, closed, clasping; Seeds imperfect;
Flesh greenish-white, fine-grained, tender, juicy; Flavor sub-acid, aromatic; Quality only good; Use table, kitchen; Season January, February.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Brandywine.
Origin unknown.
Fruit above medium, roundish conical, slightly ribbed, a little oblique, yellowish, shaded, splashed, and striped with red over half to two-thirds its surface, many large, light dots. Stalk short and small. Cavity deep. Calyx closed, or partially open. Basin large. Flesh yellowish, crisp, juicy, tender, mild, somewhat rich, subacid, slightly aromatic. Core small. Good to very good. November to February.