Hawthornden
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Origin & History
Hawthornden originated at Hawthornden, a romantic spot near Edinburgh, Scotland, the birthplace of the poet Drummond (born 1585). The period when this apple was first produced is not known. It is first mentioned in the catalogue of Leslie and Anderson of Edinburgh but was not known about London until 1790, when it was introduced into the Brompton Park Nursery (Herefordshire Pomona).
The variety has been long considered one of the most valuable and popular apples in cultivation. It has done fairly well in various parts of the United States from New England to California. Multiple sources compare it unfavorably to Maiden's Blush: Warder writes, "This famous Scotch fruit appears to do very well in this country, but it must yield the palm to its American cousin and representative, the Maiden's Blush, which possesses all its good qualities as a market and kitchen fruit, with attractive appearance." Downing likewise notes it "resembles, somewhat, our Maiden's Blush, but is inferior to that fruit in flavor." Elliott states simply, "Not equal to Maiden's Blush." Beach reports that by 1905 it appeared to be but little known among New York fruit growers, though still occasionally listed by nurserymen.
The Herefordshire Pomona notes that in some situations the tree had lost its condition and only produced small and diseased fruit, "as if it had exhausted the soils of its own particular requirements."
Tree
Vigorous, productive, and an early and abundant bearer. Warder describes the tree as spreading. Downing describes it as vigorous, upright, spreading, and when in bearing, somewhat pendulous. Beach describes it as a biennial cropper.
Young shoots very short-jointed, dull reddish brown (Downing). Buds prominent (Downing).
Fruit
Size: Warder describes the fruit as large. Downing and Elliott say rather above medium size. Beach says above medium to large. The Herefordshire Pomona notes the fruit varies very much in size according to soil, situation, or condition of the tree, but is generally above medium size.
Form: Roundish, flattened or depressed, regular. Warder describes it as regular and very flat. Downing says pretty regularly formed, roundish, rather flattened. The Herefordshire Pomona says roundish and depressed, with occasionally a prominent rib on one side which produces an irregularity in its appearance.
Stem: Warder describes the stem as medium. The Herefordshire Pomona describes it as short, stout, and sometimes fleshy.
Cavity: Warder describes the cavity as wide, wavy, green. The Herefordshire Pomona describes it as deep and irregular.
Calyx: Small and closed. The Herefordshire Pomona adds the segments are broad and flat.
Basin: Warder describes the basin as shallow, narrow, and regular. The Herefordshire Pomona describes it as pretty deep and irregular.
Skin: Very smooth. Warder describes the surface as perfectly smooth, always fair, and of a beautiful white, very rarely and faintly blushed, with minute dots. The Herefordshire Pomona describes the skin as smooth, covered with a delicate bloom, greenish yellow, with a blush of red on one side which varies in extent and colour according to sun exposure. Downing describes it as very smooth, pale light yellow, nearly white in the shade, with a fine blush where exposed to the sun. Beach says white, sometimes nearly overspread with faint blush that deepens to bright red in the sun. Elliott says pale yellow, blush in sun.
Flesh & Flavor: White to greenish-white, juicy. Warder describes the flesh as greenish-white, breaking, fine grained, juicy, with an acid, aromatic flavor; of second quality for table, but first rate for cooking. The Herefordshire Pomona describes the flesh as white, crisp and tender, very juicy, with an agreeable and pleasant flavour, suitable only for kitchen use. Downing describes the flesh as white, juicy, of a simple, pleasant flavor, and rates it Good. Beach describes it as mild subacid, not of high flavor, pleasant, and rates it good. Elliott says simply white and acid.
Core & Seeds: Core wide, regular, somewhat open, meeting the eye (Warder). Seeds numerous, angular, imperfect, brown (Warder).
Season
Warder says October. Downing says September. Beach says September and October. Elliott says October and November. The Herefordshire Pomona says October to December. Downing notes the fruit is good for drying.
Uses
Kitchen and market. An excellent cooking apple; Downing says good for cooking or drying and exceedingly profitable for market. Warder rates it first rate for cooking but only second quality for table. The Herefordshire Pomona says suitable only for kitchen use.
Subtypes & Variants
Downing describes a New or Winter Hawthornden, the wood of which is brownish red, the tree more robust, the fruit larger, and a longer keeper than the Old Hawthornden.
Other
The Herefordshire Pomona illustration is described as Fig. 76 in Warder.
The Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914) lists Hawthornden only in a variety-characteristic table:
Hawthornden............... M | rob | gy | G | b | a | 5* | 6*
Book Sources
Described in 6 period pomological works
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 1 catalog (1911) from England
- James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911
View original book sources (6)
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Fig. 76.—HAWTHORNDEN.
Hawthornden.
This famous Scotch fruit appears to do very well in this country, but it must yield the palm to its American cousin and representative, the Maiden's Blush, which possesses all its good qualities as a market and kitchen fruit, with attractive appearance.
Tree spreading, vigorous and productive; an early bearer.
Fruit large, regular, and very flat; Surface perfectly smooth, always fair, and of a beautiful white, very rarely and faintly blushed; Dots minute.
Basin shallow, narrow, regular; Eye small, closed.
Cavity wide, wavy, green; Stem medium.
Core wide, regular, somewhat open, meeting the eye; Seeds numerous, angular, imperfect, brown; Flesh greenish-white, breaking, fine grained, juicy; Flavor acid, aromatic; of second quality for table, but first rate for cooking; Uses, kitchen and market; Season October.
— Woolhope Naturalists Field Club, The Herefordshire Pomona (1885)
- HAWTHORNDEN.
[Syn: Hawthorndean; White Hawthorndean; Red Hawthorndean.]
This variety was raised at Hawthornden, a romantic spot near Edinburgh, where Drummond the poet was born in 1585. The period when this apple was first produced is not known. It is first mentioned in the catalogue of Leslie and Anderson of Edinburgh; but was not known about London until 1790, when it was introduced into the Brompton Park Nursery.
Description.—Fruit; varying very much in size according to the soil, situation, or condition of the tree, generally above medium size, roundish and depressed, with occasionally a prominent rib on one side which produces an irregularity in its appearance. Skin; smooth, covered with a delicate bloom, greenish yellow, with a blush of red on one side which varies in extent and colour according as it has been more or less exposed to the sun. Eye; small and closed, with broad and flat segments, placed in a pretty deep and irregular basin. Stalk; short, stout, and sometimes fleshy, inserted in a deep and irregular cavity. Flesh; white, crisp and tender, very juicy, with an agreeable and pleasant flavour.
The Hawthornden has long been one of the most valuable and popular apples in cultivation. It is suitable only for kitchen use, and is in season from October to December.
The tree has always been considered as very healthy and vigorous, and unrivalled as an early and abundant bearer, but of late years in some situations it has lost its condition and only produced small and diseased fruit, as if it had exhausted the soils of its own particular requirements.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Hawthornden.
White Hawthornden.
A celebrated Scotch Apple, which originated at Hawthornden, the birthplace of the poet Drummond. It resembles, somewhat, our Maiden's Blush, but is inferior to that fruit in flavor. An excellent bearer, a handsome fruit, and good for cooking or drying, and exceedingly profitable for market.
Tree vigorous, upright, spreading, and, when in bearing, somewhat pendulous. Young shoots very short-jointed, dull reddish brown. Buds prominent.
Fruit rather above the medium size, pretty regularly formed, roundish, rather flattened. Skin very smooth, pale light yellow, nearly white in the shade, with a fine blush where exposed to the sun. Flesh white, juicy, of a simple, pleasant flavor. Good. September.
There is a New, or winter Hawthornden, the wood of which is brownish red, tree more robust, the fruit larger, and a longer keeper than the above.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)HAWTHORNDEN.
REFERENCES. 1. Hooker, Pom. Lond., 1813:T. 44 (cited by 2). 2. Forsyth, 1824:106. 3. Pom. Mag., 1828:No. 34. col. pl. 4. London Hort. Soc. Cat., 1831:No. 530. 5. Mag. Hort., 1:326. 1835. 6. Manning, 1838:48. 7. Ib., Mag. Hort., 7:45. 1841. 8. Downing, 1845:86. 9. Cole, 1849:113. 10. Hovey, Mag. Hort., 17:18. 1851. fig. 11. Barry, 1851:284. 12. Emmons, Nat. Hist. N. Y., 3:40. 1851. 13. Mag. Hort., 19:174. 1853. 14. Elliott, 1854:171. 15. Gregg, 1857:43. 16. Hooper, 1857:43. 17. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1862. 18. Warder, 1867:410. fig. 19. Leroy, 1873:376. fig. 20. Thomas, 1875:501. 21. Montreal Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1:10. 1876. 22. Ib., 5:24. 1879. 23. Hogg, 1884:105. 24. Rural N. Y., 45:233. 1886. figs. 25. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:292. 26. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:241. 27. Gaudier, 1894:No. 13. col. pl. 28. Dempsey, Out. Fr. Stas. An. Rpt., 1:24. 1894. fig. 29. Bunyard, Jour. Roy. Hort. Soc., 1898:354.
SYNONYMS. Hawley (27) but erroneously. HAWTHORNDEAN (2, 6, 7). Hau'thorndean (23). HAWTHORNDEN (1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29). Lincolnshire Pippin (27). Lord Kingston (27). Maiden's Blush erroneously (10). Old Hawthorndean (23, 27). Pomme de Hawthornden (27). Red Hawthornden (10). Shoreditch White (27). Weisser Hawthornden (27). Wheeler's Kernel (27). White Apple (27). White Hawthorndean (23, 27). White Hawthornden (3, 4, 8, 10, 12, 14).
A Scotch variety which has done fairly well in various parts of this country from New England to California. Warder (18) says of it: "This famous Scotch fruit appears to do very well in this country, but it must yield the palm to its American cousin and representative, the Maiden's Blush, which possesses all its good qualities as a market and kitchen fruit, with attractive appearance."
The tree is said to be a vigorous grower and a biennial cropper, and the fruit is above medium to large, regular, fair, white sometimes nearly overspread with faint blush that deepens to bright red in the sun. Flesh mild subacid, not of high flavor, pleasant, good. Season September and October.
We are not acquainted with this variety. It appears to be but little known among New York fruit growers. It is still occasionally listed by nurserymen (26).
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Hawthornden............... M | rob | gy | G | b | a | 5* | 6* |
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Hawthornden. White Hawthornden, | Mountaineer. Foreign. Above medium, roundish flattened, pale yellow, blush in sun ; flesh, white, acid. October, November. Not equal to Maiden's Blush.