Italian Rose

Origin & History

An Italian dessert apple, also known by the German name Weisse Italianische Rosmarinapfel (White Italian Rosemary Apple). Documented in 19th-century European pomological literature.

Fruit

Size & Form: Medium, roundish oblong conical.

Color & Surface: Yellow ground with pale red striping; the red markings intensify and become more prominent in fruits receiving full sun exposure.

Flesh & Flavor: White, tender, and juicy with a sugary, vinous (wine-like) character.

Season: December — a winter apple suitable for storage into the year's end.

Uses: Dessert apple.

Source Note: Description derived from A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900 revised edition), citing Diel's 19th-century pomological documentation. The source provides limited detail on tree characteristics, cavity/calyx structure, and other identifying features. Further description from period European sources would be needed to fully characterize the variety's identification profile.