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Henniker

Apple
USDA watercolor illustration of Henniker

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

Henniker

Origin/History

Henniker is an English apple of Suffolk origin, raised in the mid-19th century. Downing (drawing on the Journal of Horticulture) credits it to John Perkins of Thornham Hall, Suffolk, England. Bunyard credits it to Lord Henniker, at Thornham Hill, Suffolk, about 1845. Beach reports that it originated between 1840 and 1850 in Suffolk, England, and was awarded a first-class certificate by the Royal Horticultural Society in 1873. It had not been disseminated much in America and was little known in New York as of the early 1900s. Bunyard called it "a good old sort still worth growing."

Tree

Tree healthy (Downing) and vigorous (Beach, Bunyard), a strong grower with upright habit (Bunyard) and fertile (Bunyard). Form roundish or spreading, rather dense (Beach). It does not come into bearing very young, but is quite productive — Downing calls it a great bearer; Beach notes it is quite productive in alternate years, with considerable loss apt to occur from dropping of the fruit. Branches short, moderately stout, curved, crooked. Twigs long to short, stout; internodes medium or below. Bark dark brown tinged with red or partly olive-green, distinctly mottled with gray scarf-skin, slightly pubescent. Lenticels rather numerous, scattering, medium to small, roundish, raised, moderately conspicuous. Buds medium, rather prominent, broad, plump, obtuse to acute, free, slightly pubescent. Leaf rather large, long, flat, sharply serrate, very dark green (Bunyard).

Fruit

Size. Very large (Downing); above medium to very large, fairly uniform in size (Beach); large to very large, 3½ by 2¼ inches (Bunyard). Veitch describes it as large and showy.

Form. Sources describe the form somewhat differently. Downing calls it roundish, slightly conic, angular, with prominent ridges around the eye. Beach describes it as oblate to roundish, rather obscurely ribbed, often elliptical, not very uniform in shape. Bunyard describes it as roundish-oblong, irregular.

Stem. Very short (Downing); short to medium, moderately thick (Beach); moderately long (Bunyard).

Cavity. Wide, deep, russety (Downing); acuminate or somewhat acute, deep, wide, gently furrowed, often covered with outspreading russet (Beach); deep, rather narrow, russet (Bunyard).

Calyx/Eye. Calyx large, open (Downing); calyx medium to rather large, lobes partly open, broad, acute (Beach); eye closed (Bunyard). Calyx tube rather long, funnel-shape; stamens median or below (Beach).

Basin. Very deep, angular (Downing); moderately deep to rather shallow, medium to rather wide, somewhat furrowed and wrinkled (Beach); wide, deep, and boldly ribbed (Bunyard).

Skin. Yellow, shaded with pale red, and broken streaks of crimson on the sunny side (Downing); rather tough, decidedly roughened with capillary netted russet lines and rather large russet dots, and sometimes with broken patches of russet; color rather deep yellow, blushed and mottled with red and sparingly striped with carmine, the prevailing effect rather dull red somewhat mingled with yellow (Beach); golden-yellow with bright red flush and a few broad broken stripes (Bunyard).

Flesh and flavor. Very tender in the grain, well flavored, and with a pleasant perfume (Downing). Tinged with yellow, moderately coarse, somewhat crisp, rather tender, juicy, rich, brisk subacid with something of the flavor characteristic of certain russets, becoming rather mild late in the season; good to very good in quality (Beach). Tender, yellow, Blenheim flavour (Bunyard). Excellent for cooking but at first rather too briskly acid to be desirable for a dessert apple (Beach).

Core and seeds. Core medium to small, axile; cells unsymmetrical, often seedless, irregularly developed; core lines clasping the funnel cylinder. Carpels broadly roundish or approaching obcordate, emarginate, tufted. Seeds few, medium or above, obtuse to acute, tufted. (All Beach.)

Season

October to February (Downing). November to March or April (Beach). November to January, culinary (Bunyard). September to January (Veitch). A good keeper (Veitch).

Uses

Chiefly valuable as a cooking variety, but useful also in the dessert (Downing). Culinary (Bunyard). Excellent for cooking but at first rather too briskly acid to be desirable for a dessert apple, mellowing to rather mild late in the season (Beach). Excellent for exhibition and a fine pot grower (Veitch). Beach concludes that the fruit is of good size and excellent quality but not attractive enough in form and color to rank as a first-class commercial variety, and it is not recommended for planting in New York.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Not described in source.

Book Sources

Described in 3 period pomological works

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 10 catalogs (1890–1913) from England, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania

View original book sources (4)

Lady Henniker.

This new English apple was raised by John Perkins, Thornham Hall, Suffolk, England; tree healthy, and a great bearer; chiefly valuable as a cooking variety, but useful also in the dessert.

Fruit very large, roundish, slightly conic, angular, with prominent ridges around the eye; skin yellow, shaded with pale red, and broken streaks of crimson on the sunny side; stalk very short; cavity wide, deep, russety; calyx large, open; basin very deep, angular; flesh very tender in the grain, well flavored, and with a pleasant perfume. October, February.

(Journal of Horticulture.)

— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)

HENNIKER.

REFERENCES. 1. Downing, 1876:54 app. 2. Hogg, 1884:126. 3. Gartenflora, 39:265. 1890. col. pl. 4. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:243. 5. Beach, N. Y. Sta. An. Rpt., 11:593. 1892. 6. Jour. Royal Hort. Soc., 1898:356. 7. Powell and Fulton, U. S. B. P. I. Bul. 48:44. 1903. 8. Beach and Clark, N. Y. Sta. Bul., 248:124. 1904.

SYNONYM. LADY HENNIKER (1, 2, 4, 5, 6).

Fruit of good size and excellent quality but not attractive enough in form and color to rank as a first-class commercial variety. The tree is a strong grower. It does not come into bearing very young but is quite productive in alternate years. There is apt to be considerable loss from the dropping of the fruit. It is not recommended for planting in New York.

Historical. Originated between 1840 and 1850 in Suffolk, England (2). Awarded first-class certificate by the Royal Horticultural Society in 1873 (6). It has not been disseminated much in this country and is but little known in New York.

TREE.

Tree vigorous; branches short, moderately stout, curved, crooked. Form roundish or spreading, rather dense. Twigs long to short, stout; internodes medium or below. Bark dark brown tinged with red or partly olive-green, distinctly mottled with gray scarf-skin, slightly pubescent. Lenticels rather numerous, scattering, medium to small, roundish, raised, moderately conspicuous. Buds medium, rather prominent, broad, plump, obtuse to acute, free, slightly pubescent.

FRUIT.

Fruit above medium to very large, fairly uniform in size. Form oblate to roundish, rather obscurely ribbed, often elliptical, not very uniform in shape. Stem short to medium, moderately thick. Cavity acuminate or somewhat acute, deep, wide, gently furrowed, often covered with outspreading russet. Calyx medium to rather large; lobes partly open, broad, acute. Basin moderately deep to rather shallow, medium to rather wide, somewhat furrowed and wrinkled. Skin rather tough, decidedly roughened with capillary netted russet lines and rather large russet dots, and sometimes with broken patches of russet; color rather deep yellow, blushed and mottled with red and sparingly striped with carmine. Prevailing effect rather dull red somewhat mingled with yellow. Calyx tube rather long, funnel-shape. Stamens median or below. Core medium to small, axile; cells unsymmetrical, often seedless, irregularly developed; core lines clasping the funnel cylinder. Carpels broadly roundish or approaching obcordate, emarginate, tufted. Seeds few, medium or above, obtuse to acute, tufted. Flesh tinged with yellow, moderately coarse, somewhat crisp, rather tender, juicy, rich, brisk subacid with something of the flavor characteristic of certain russets, becoming rather mild late in the season; good to very good in quality. Excellent for cooking but at first rather too briskly acid to be desirable for a dessert apple. Season November to March or April.

— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)

LADY HENNIKER. Her. Pom., 67. Culinary, November to January, large to very large, 3½ by 2¼, roundish-oblong, irregular. Colour, golden-yellow with bright red flush and a few broad broken stripes. Flesh, tender, yellow, Blenheim flavour. Eye, closed in a wide, deep and boldly ribbed basin. Stem, moderately long in a deep, rather narrow russet cavity. Growth, vigorous, upright; fertile. Leaf, rather large, long, flat, sharply serrate, very dark green. Origin, raised by Lord Henniker, at Thornham Hill, Suffolk, about 1845. A good old sort still worth growing.

— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)

(Large, showy, excellent for exhibition, good keeping, a fine pot grower). Sept. to Jan.

— James Veitch & Sons, Veitch's Fruit Trees (1911) (1911)
Lady Henniker