Brandywine
Apple
Brandywine Apple
Origin/History
Warder (1867) records this variety as having been 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. Downing (1900) gives the origin as unknown.
Tree
Large, vigorous, spreading, and productive. (Warder.) Tree characteristics not described in Downing.
Fruit
Size: Warder describes the fruit as medium; Downing as above medium.
Form: Both sources agree on a roundish conic shape. Warder adds oblate character, describing it as oblate, roundish, slightly conic, and regular. Downing describes the fruit as slightly ribbed and a little oblique, without noting an oblate character.
Stem: Short and small (Downing). Warder specifies very short.
Cavity: Warder describes the cavity as acute, regular, and green. Downing describes it as deep. These accounts conflict on depth — Warder's "acute" implies a narrow, not necessarily deep, cavity.
Calyx: Closed, or partially open (Downing). Warder notes the eye as small and closed.
Basin: Warder describes the basin as shallow, abrupt, and regular. Downing describes the basin as large. These accounts conflict on size and depth.
Skin: Warder describes the surface as smooth and greenish, covered with confused stripes of dull red, with scattered white dots. Downing describes the ground color as yellowish, shaded, splashed, and striped with red over half to two-thirds of the surface, with many large, light dots. The sources conflict on ground color (greenish vs. yellowish) and on the character of the dots (scattered white vs. many large light dots).
Flesh/Flavor: Both sources agree the flesh is juicy and tender, with a subacid, slightly aromatic flavor. Warder describes the flesh as greenish-white, fine-grained, and of sub-acid, aromatic flavor, rating quality as only good. Downing describes the flesh as yellowish, crisp, mild, and somewhat rich, subacid, slightly aromatic, rating quality as good to very good. The sources conflict on flesh color (greenish-white vs. yellowish) and on quality rating.
Core/Seeds: Core small, round, closed, clasping; seeds imperfect (Warder). Downing notes only that the core is small.
Season
Warder gives January and February. Downing gives November to February, indicating a longer season beginning earlier in storage.
Uses
Table and kitchen (Warder). Not described in Downing.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in either source.
Other
Not described in either 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.