Late Strawberry
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Late Strawberry
Origin/History
Late Strawberry is an American apple that originated in western New York, specifically at Aurora, Cayuga County, on lands formerly owned by Judge Phelps (Downing; Hedrick). It was first described in 1848 (Hedrick). Its reputation has suffered because of confusion in nomenclature, several distinct sorts being grown as Late Strawberry (Hedrick). Hansen notes that specimens received from Minnesota under the name "Vulcan" appear to be Late Strawberry. The variety succeeds well in the West (Thomas).
Tree
Tree medium to large, vigorous, upright, spreading, hardy, healthy, and long-lived (Downing; Hedrick). Young wood smooth, reddish brown (Downing). A regular and early bearer (Downing), yielding regularly and heavily (Hedrick); very productive (Thomas). Young trees are of remarkably thrifty growth, with leaves sharply serrate, which at once distinguishes them from the crenate leaves of the Early Strawberry (Thomas).
Fruit
Size
Medium, or rather below medium (Elliott; Thomas; Lowther). Hedrick describes the fruit as small, uniform in size and shape, and notes that the small size of the fruit debars the variety from commercial plantation.
Form
Roundish (Elliott; Lowther gives "round"); roundish, inclining to conic (Downing); roundish, slightly conical, sometimes faintly ribbed (Thomas); round or oblong-conic, sometimes strongly ribbed, irregular (Hedrick); sometimes obscurely ribbed (Downing).
Stem
Slender, medium length (Elliott); rather long, slender, curved (Downing); slender, about an inch long (Thomas); long, slender, often curved (Hedrick).
Cavity
Open, regular (Elliott); large, deep, slightly russeted (Downing); acuminate, deep, broad, furrowed, sometimes with thin radiating streaks of light russet mingled with carmine (Hedrick).
Calyx
Small, nearly closed (Elliott); large, open, with lobes often separated at base, short, acute, erect or reflexed (Hedrick). Calyx-tube wide, conical; stamens basal (Hedrick).
Basin
Shallow, slightly ribbed (Elliott); abrupt, corrugated (Downing); ribbed (Thomas); deep, wide, abrupt, furrowed and wrinkled (Hedrick).
Skin / Color
Light and dark red, streaked, and, in the sun, the dark red prevailing, and with a bloom like a plum (Elliott). Whitish, striped and splashed with light and dark red, and often covered with a thin bloom (Downing). Nearly the whole surface with small broken streaks of light and dark red (Thomas). Yellow-red (Lowther). Pale yellow often almost entirely overspread with bright red, dotted and streaked with purplish-carmine; dots inconspicuous, light colored; prevailing effect bright striped red (Hedrick).
Flesh / Flavor
Yellowish white, tender, juicy, sub-acid (Elliott). Yellowish white, tender, juicy, pleasant vinous, subacid; very good (Downing). Yellowish white, slightly fibrous, very tender and juicy, with a fine, very agreeable, sub-acid flavor (Thomas). Yellow, fine, crisp, tender, juicy, sprightly, aromatic, subacid; very good (Hedrick). Lowther rates the quality as very good.
Core / Seeds
Core medium; seeds large, full (Elliott). Core small, axile to abaxile; cells closed or open; core-lines meeting; carpels obovate; seeds large, flat, obtuse (Hedrick).
Season
October (Elliott). October to December (Downing). Ripens early in autumn, and often keeps till winter (Thomas). Early autumn (Lowther). September to December (Hedrick). Hedrick notes a long period of maturity, which makes several pickings necessary.
Uses
One of the best early autumn apples (Thomas). One of the best dessert apples of its season, and an apple only for the home orchard; the beauty and high quality of this apple should make it a favorite in orchards planted for choicely good fruit (Hedrick). Lowther reports use as both kitchen and market. Debarred from commercial plantation because of the small size of the fruit and the long period of maturity (Hedrick).
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source, though Hedrick notes that "several distinct sorts" have been grown under the Late Strawberry name due to nomenclatural confusion, and Hansen reports that specimens received under the name "Vulcan" from Minnesota appear to be Late Strawberry.
Other
Lowther's division reports list the variety as III* (reported as adapted to more than one of the three divisions). Thomas references Fig. 386; Hedrick references Fig. 32.
Book Sources
Described in 6 period pomological works
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)
- Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)
- Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)
- Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865) — listed as Autumn Strawberry
- Hansen, A Study of Northwestern Apples (1902) — listed as Vulcan
View original book sources (6)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Autumn Strawberry. Late Strawberry, | Strawberry, American : originated Western New York. Size, medium, or rather below ; form, roundish : color, light and dark red, streaked, and, in the sun, the dark red prevailing, and with a bloom like a plum; stem, slender, medium length ; cavity, open, regular ; calyx, small, nearly closed ; basin, shallow, slightly ribbed : flesh, yellowish white, tender, juicy, sub-acid; core, medium; seeds, large, full. October.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Late Strawberry. Late Strawberry. Autumn Strawberry. Origin, Aurora, N. Y., on lands formerly owned by Judge Phelps. Tree vigorous, upright, spreading, hardy. Young wood smooth, reddish brown, a regular and early bearer. Fruit medium, roundish, inclining to conic, sometimes obscurely ribbed. Color whitish, striped and splashed with light and dark red, and often covered with a thin bloom. Stalk rather long, slender, curved. Cavity large, deep, slightly russeted. Basin abrupt, corrugated. Flesh yellowish white, tender, juicy, pleasant vinous, subacid. Very good. October, December.
— N.E. Hansen, A Study of Northwestern Apples (1902)Vulcan-Specimens under this name received from Minnesota appear to be Late Strawberry (Autumn Strawberry).
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Late Strawberry.* (Strawberry, Autumn Strawberry.) Size medium; roundish, slightly conical, sometimes faintly ribbed; nearly whole surface with small broken streaks of light and dark red; stalk slender, about an inch long; basin ribbed; flesh yellowish white, slightly fibrous, very tender and juicy, with a fine, very agreeable, sub-acid flavor. Young trees of remarkably thrifty growth, leaves sharply serrate, which at once distinguishes them from the crenate leaves of the Early Strawberry. Ripens early in autumn, and often keeps till winter. Very productive. Fig. 386. One of the best early autumn apples. Succeeds well in the West. New York.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Late Strawberry. Size: medium. Form: round. Color: yellow-red. Quality: very good. Use: both kitchen and market. Season: early autumn. Division reports: III* (variety reported as adapted to more than one of the three divisions).
— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)LATE STRAWBERRY. Fig. 32. Autumn Strawberry. Fall Strawberry. The true Late Strawberry is one of the best dessert apples of its season. It is, however, an apple only for the home orchard. Its reputation has suffered because of confusion in nomenclature, several distinct sorts being grown as Late Strawberry. The variety is debarred from commercial plantation because of the small size of the fruit and the long period of maturity, which makes several pickings necessary. The beauty and high quality of this apple should make it a favorite in orchards planted for choicely good fruit. The variety originated at Aurora, Cayuga County, New York, and was first described in 1848. Tree medium to large, vigorous, upright-spreading, hardy, healthy, long-lived, yielding regularly and heavily. Fruit small, uniform in size and shape, round or oblong-conic, sometimes strongly ribbed, irregular; stem long, slender, often curved; cavity acuminate, deep, broad, furrowed, sometimes with thin radiating streaks of light russet mingled with carmine; calyx large, open; lobes often separated at base, short, acute, erect or reflexed; basin deep, wide, abrupt, furrowed and wrinkled; skin pale yellow often almost entirely overspread with bright red, dotted and streaked with purplish-carmine; dots inconspicuous, light colored; prevailing effect bright striped red; calyx-tube wide, conical; stamens basal; core small, axile to abaxile; cells closed or open; core-lines meeting; carpels obovate; seeds large, flat, obtuse; flesh yellow, fine, crisp, tender, juicy, sprightly, aromatic, subacid; very good; September to December.