Court Pendu Plat
AppleCourt Pendu Plat
Origin / History
A popular French variety (Downing; Thomas). Listed as "Foreign" by Elliott. Of great antiquity; known in the sixteenth century, and possibly dating from Roman days (Bunyard). USDA Plant Introduction number 123960; received from England in 1937 and reported by the U.S. Plant Introduction Station, Glenn Dale, Maryland (Fisher, 1963).
The variety's late-flowering habit gave rise to the alternate name "Wise Apple," it being the latest of all to flower (Bunyard).
Tree
Slender, an early and prolific bearer (Elliott); bears young and plentifully (Downing). Growth small; fertility good (Bunyard). The latest of all apples to flower, a habit which often enables it to escape early frosts (Bunyard). One of the best for a heavy clay soil (Bunyard).
Leaf rather small, much upward cupped, sharply serrate (Bunyard).
Fruit
Size: Medium (Downing, Elliott, Thomas); smallish, 2¼ by 1¾ inches (Bunyard).
Form: Regularly formed and quite flat (Downing); medium, regular, flat (Elliott); oblate, regular (Thomas); flat, regular (Bunyard).
Stem / Stalk: Short (Downing, Elliott); very short (Bunyard).
Cavity: Very deep (Downing); deep (Elliott, Bunyard).
Calyx / Eye: Calyx large (Downing, Elliott); eye open in a very deep even basin (Bunyard).
Basin: Wide, shallow (Downing, Elliott); very deep and even (Bunyard). (Sources disagree on basin depth: Downing and Elliott describe it as shallow, while Bunyard describes the basin as very deep and even.)
Skin / Colour: Rich, deep crimson on the sunny side, with a little pale greenish yellow in the shade (Downing); pale greenish yellow, crimson in sun (Elliott); deep red (Thomas); yellow covered with dull red flush and slight russet (Bunyard).
Flesh / Flavor: Yellow, crisp, with a rich brisk acid flavor; "Good" (Downing). Yellow, crisp, sprightly, little acid; "Very good" (Elliott). Rich, brisk sub-acid (Thomas). Yellow, firm, rich flavour (Bunyard).
Core / Seeds: Not described in source.
Season
November to February (Downing, Elliott); early winter (Thomas); a dessert apple keeping till April (Bunyard).
Uses
Dessert (Bunyard). A valuable sort (Bunyard).
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 5 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 8 catalogs (1897–1917) from England, Illinois
- Kelway & Son , Langport, Somerset , England — 1897
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1900
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
- James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1914
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1917
View original book sources (5)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Court Pendu Plat.
Court-pendu. Court-pendu Musqué. Court-pendu plat rougeatre. Rouge Musqué. Capendu. Coriandre Rose. Garnon's Apple. Pomme de Berlin. Court-pendu Extra. Wollaton Pippin. Rond Gros. Russian. Rose. Princess Noble Zoete.
A popular French variety.
Fruit of medium size, regularly formed, and quite flat. Skin rich, deep crimson on the sunny side, with a little pale greenish yellow in the shade. Stalk short, inserted in a very deep cavity. Calyx large, set in a wide shallow basin. Flesh yellow, crisp, with a rich brisk acid flavor. Good. The tree bears young and plentifully. November to February.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Court-pendu Plat
Court-pendu, Cour pendu Extra, Garnon's Apple, Cour pendu, Rouge Musqué, Cour Pendu, Rond Gros, Pomme de Berlin, " " Musqué, Russian, Coriandra Rose, Princisse Noble Zoete. Wollaton Pippin, Capendu,
Foreign. Tree, slender, early and prolific bearer. Fruit, medium regular, flat; pale greenish yellow, crimson in sun; stem, short; cavity, deep; calyx, large; basin, wide, shallow; flesh, yellow, crisp, sprightly, little acid. "Very good." November to February.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Court Pendu Plat. Medium, oblate, regular, deep red; rich, brisk sub-acid. Early winter. French.
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)COURT PENDU PLAT. Ronalds, p. 12. G., Koeniglicher Kurzstiel. (de Bertin, Garnons, Wise Apple, Court Queue, Wollaton Pippin, etc., etc.) Dessert, till April, smallish, 2¼ by 1¾, flat, regular. Colour, yellow covered with dull red flush and slight russet. Flesh, yellow, firm, rich flavour. Eye, open in a very deep even basin. Stem, very short in a deep cavity. Growth, small; fertility, good. The latest of all to flower, hence its name, Wise Apple. Leaf, rather small, much upward cupped, sharply serrate. Origin, of great antiquity; known in the sixteenth century, and possibly dating from Roman days. A valuable sort, its late flowering habit often enabling it to escape early frosts. One of the best for a heavy clay soil.
— H.H. Fisher (USDA ARS), A Survey of Apple Clones in the United States (1963)Court Pendu Plat. USDA Plant Introduction number 123960. Received from England in 1937. Reported by the U.S. Plant Introduction Station, Glenn Dale, Maryland (MdG).