Garden Royal
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Garden Royal
Origin & History
Garden Royal originated on the farm of Bowker in Sudbury, Massachusetts. It was first described by Manning in 1847 and was listed in the American Pomological Society Catalog from 1854. By the early twentieth century it was occasionally found in home orchards in New York but was little propagated by nurserymen and seldom planted. Warder (1867) noted receiving specimens from Chillicothe, Ohio and Salem, Indiana, remarking that the origin was unknown to him.
Beach (1905) observed that Garden Royal is not a good variety for commercial planting because the fruit is too small and its season is early and short, but that many consider it one of the very best dessert apples of late summer and early autumn.
Tree
The tree when full grown is of medium size, moderately vigorous, with a very upright growth habit forming a beautiful roundish, regular, even head. It is very productive, appearing to be hardy, healthy, and long-lived. It comes into bearing young and is a reliable biennial cropper. Young shoots are dark dull reddish brown, slightly grayish or with imperfect down (Downing).
Fruit
Size: Medium or below (Downing, Beach). Warder, however, described the fruit as "pretty large," which conflicts with all other sources.
Form: Roundish oblate, very slightly conic (Downing). Round, slightly oblate, often a little inclined to conic, regular or obscurely ribbed (Beach). Warder described it as roundish, flat, regular.
Stem: Short to medium, straight, rather slender (Beach). Medium, slender (Downing). Sometimes knobby (Warder).
Cavity: Deep, acute, sometimes approaching acuminate, rather broad, slightly furrowed, often faintly russeted (Beach). Deep, acute (Downing). Deep, acute, regular, green (Warder).
Calyx: Open or partially closed. Segments sometimes a little recurved (Downing). Small to above medium, open or partly closed; lobes often separated at base, rather short, acute (Beach). Warder described the basin as having a closed calyx.
Basin: Shallow, slightly uneven (Downing). Moderately shallow, rather wide, obtuse to somewhat abrupt, slightly wrinkled (Beach). Wide, regular, small (Warder).
Skin: Thin (Beach). Greenish yellow, shaded, striped, and splashed with rich red, a little dull or grayish toward the stalk, sprinkled with light and gray dots (Downing). Greenish-yellow, sometimes entirely overspread with red, irregularly striped and splashed with carmine; dots numerous, rather conspicuous, medium or above, often irregular, russet or yellowish (Beach). Beach also described the fruit as very handsome deep yellow striped with orange-red and dark crimson. Warder described the surface as smooth, yellowish-green, slightly shaded red with scattered stripes of carmine, and minute black dots.
Calyx Tube: Medium size, funnel-shaped. Stamens median to nearly marginal (Beach).
Flesh: Tinged with yellow, fine, tender, juicy, agreeable mild subacid, aromatic (Beach). Yellow, very tender, juicy, rich, mild subacid, aromatic (Downing). Pale yellow or whitish, tender, fine-grained, juicy (Warder). Beach rated it very good; Downing rated it best. Warder rated it "very good to best" and described the flavor as "sub-acid, aromatic, saccharine, agreeable." Beach noted the flesh has "a delicate, pleasant acid flavor."
Core & Seeds: Small, axile; cells closed or slightly open; core lines clasping. Carpels small, elliptical, emarginate (Beach). Small (Downing). Wide, closed or open, regular, clasping the eye; seeds small, pointed, brown (Warder).
Season
Late August and September (Beach, Downing). Warder gave a longer season of August to October.
Uses
Considered one of the very best dessert apples of its season. Warder listed it as suitable for dessert, kitchen, and market, deeming it worthy of cultivation, though Beach cautioned against commercial planting due to the small size and short season.
Book Sources
Described in 4 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 1 catalog (1887) from California
- Santa Rosa Nurseries (Luther Burbank) , Santa Rosa , California — 1887
View original book sources (4)
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Garden. GARDEN ROYAL.
This fine apple has been received from quite distant points, Chillicothe, Ohio, and Salem, Indiana. It is quite distinct in season from the Beefsteak or Garden of Downing, but in description corresponds very closely with the Garden-Royal of Elliott, which fruit I have not seen. Origin unknown.
Fruit pretty large, roundish, flat, regular; Surface smooth, yellowish-green, slightly shaded red, scattered stripes, carmine; Dots minute, black.
Basin wide, regular, small, closed.
Cavity deep, acute, regular, green; stem short to medium, sometimes knobby.
Core wide, closed or open, regular, clasping the eye; seeds small, pointed, brown; flesh pale yellow or whitish, tender, fine-grained, juicy; Flavor sub-acid, aromatic, saccharine, agreeable; Quality very good to best; Use dessert, kitchen, market; Season August to October; worthy of cultivation.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Garden Royal.
Originated on the farm of Bowker, Sudbury, Mass. Tree of moderate, very upright growth, forming a beautiful roundish, regular even head, very productive. Young shoots dark dull reddish brown, slightly grayish or imperfect downy.
Garden Royal.
Fruit medium or below. Form roundish oblate, very slightly conic. Color greenish yellow, shaded, striped, and splashed with rich red, a little dull or grayish toward the stalk. Sprinkled with light and gray dots. Stalk medium, slender. Cavity deep, acute. Calyx open or partially closed. Segments sometimes a little recurved. Basin shallow, slightly uneven. Flesh yellow, very tender, juicy, rich, mild subacid, aromatic. Best. Core small. Last of August, September.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)GARDEN ROYAL.
REFERENCES. 1. Manning, Mag. Hort., 13:438. 1847. 2. Hovey, Ib., 14:18. 1848. fig. 3. Thomas, Cultivator, 5:212. 1848. 4. Cole, 1849:106. fig. 5. Thomas, 1849:139. fig. 6. Barry, 1851:284. 7. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1854. 8. Elliott, 1854:81. 9. Mag. Hort., 21:63. 1855. 10. Downing, 1857:79. 11. Warder, 1867:719. 12. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:292. 13. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:239. 14. Rural N. Y., 60:247. 1901. 15. Budd-Hansen, 1903:88. fig. 16. Farrand, Mich. Sta. Bul., 205:44. 1903.
SYNONYMS. None.
Garden Royal is not a good variety for commercial planting because the fruit is too small and its season early and short, but by many it is considered one of the very best dessert apples of late summer and early autumn. The fruit is of regular form, very handsome deep yellow striped with orange-red and dark crimson. The flesh is very tender, aromatic and with a delicate, pleasant acid flavor; season, August and September. The tree when full grown is of medium size, moderately vigorous, with roundish head. It appears to be hardy, healthy and long-lived, comes into bearing young and is a reliable biennial cropper.
Historical. Origin Sudbury, Mass. (2). It is occasionally found in this state in home orchards. It is now little propagated by nurserymen and seldom planted.
FRUIT.
Fruit medium or below. Form round, slightly oblate, often a little inclined to conic, regular or obscurely ribbed. Stem short to medium, straight, rather slender. Cavity acute sometimes approaching acuminate, rather deep and broad, slightly furrowed, often faintly russeted. Calyx small to above medium, open or partly closed; lobes often separated at base, rather short, acute. Basin moderately shallow, rather wide, obtuse to somewhat abrupt, slightly wrinkled. Skin thin, greenish-yellow, sometimes entirely overspread with red, irregularly striped and splashed with carmine. Dots numerous, rather conspicuous, medium or above, often irregular, russet or yellowish. Calyx tube medium size, funnel-shape. Stamens median to nearly marginal. Core small, axile; cells closed or slightly open; core lines clasping. Carpels small, elliptical, emarginate. Flesh tinged with yellow, fine, tender, juicy, agreeable mild subacid, aromatic, very good. Season late August and September.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Garden Royal................ M | rob | yr | B | f | S | 6* | 2* |