Lehigh Greening
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Lehigh Greening
Origin/History
Lehigh Greening has been grown in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, for about sixty years prior to 1905, placing its cultivation there to approximately the 1840s. It is an apple of the French Pippin type, and was at one point considered possibly identical with the French Pippin; further comparison by Beach (1905) determined it to be a distinct variety.
References: Van Deman, U.S. Pom. Rpt., 1891:390; Butz, Penn. Sta. An. Rpt., 1892:107 (with figure); Van Deman, Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1895:72; Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1899:18; Johnson, Rural N.Y., 62:19, 370, 1903 (with figures); Budd-Hansen, 1903:115.
Tree
Tree moderately vigorous; branches rather stout and crooked. Form wide-spreading, open. Twigs medium to long, irregularly curved, stout to rather slender; internodes short to above medium. Bark clear dark reddish-brown mingled with olive-green, slightly mottled with scarf-skin, slightly pubescent. Lenticels scattering, rather conspicuous, medium in size, round or slightly elongated, raised but slightly if at all. Buds set deeply in the bark, above medium to rather small, broad, flat, obtuse, appressed, quite pubescent.
Fruit
Size and form: Fruit medium to large, pretty uniform in size and shape. Form roundish oblate to roundish conic, ribbed but faintly if at all; sides sometimes unequal.
Stem: Medium to long, moderately slender.
Cavity: Acute to acuminate, medium in depth to deep, narrow to moderately wide, sometimes lipped, more or less russeted and often with outspreading russet rays.
Calyx: Medium in size, somewhat open; lobes medium to long, rather narrow, acuminate, often somewhat separated at the base.
Basin: Usually rather large, abrupt, moderately deep to rather shallow, moderately wide, gently furrowed.
Skin: Dark green in the fall but eventually becoming waxen yellow, occasionally with a thin blush of bright red. Dots numerous, submerged or pale areolar with russet point.
Flesh and flavor: Flesh yellowish-white, firm, moderately fine or a little coarse, rather crisp, tender, juicy, sprightly, mild subacid, aromatic, good or sometimes very good.
Core and seeds: Calyx tube rather long and wide, broadly funnel-shape. Stamens median to basal. Core medium to small, usually abaxile; cells symmetrical, wide open; core lines slightly clasping. Carpels pointed ovate to broadly cordate, tufted. Seeds numerous, medium in size, rather dark brown, somewhat elongated, plump, acute to acuminate.
Season
January to May.
Uses
Desirable rather for market and culinary uses than for dessert. An excellent keeper.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
The Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (Lowther, 1914) lists this variety in tabular form as follows:
Lehigh (L. Greening). M | ob | y | G | b | W
Description absent; variety present in variety-characteristic table.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
View original book sources (2)
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 1 (1905)LEHIGH GREENING.
REFERENCES. 1. Van Deman, U. S. Pom. Rpt., 1891:390. 2. Butz, Penn. Sta. An. Rpt., 1892:107. fig. 3. Van Deman, Am. Pom. Soc. Rpt., 1895:72. 4. Am. Pom. Soc. Cat., 1899:18. 5. Johnson, Rural N. Y., 62:19, 370. 1903. figs. 6. Budd-Hansen, 1903:115.
An attractive apple of the French Pippin type, of good size and an excellent keeper. It was mentioned on page 134 as possibly identical with French Pippin. Further comparison leads us to believe that it is distinct. It is desirable rather for market and culinary uses than for dessert.
Historical. It has been grown in Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, for about sixty years (5).
TREE.
Tree moderately vigorous; branches rather stout and crooked. Form wide-spreading, open. Twigs medium to long, irregularly curved, stout to rather slender; internodes short to above medium. Bark clear dark reddish-brown mingled with olive-green, slightly mottled with scarf-skin, slightly pubescent. Lenticels scattering, rather conspicuous, medium in size, round or slightly elongated, raised but slightly if at all. Buds set deeply in the bark, above medium to rather small, broad, flat, obtuse, appressed, quite pubescent.
FRUIT.
Fruit medium to large, pretty uniform in size and shape. Form roundish oblate to roundish conic, ribbed but faintly if at all; sides sometimes unequal. Stem medium to long, moderately slender. Cavity acute to acuminate, medium in depth to deep, narrow to moderately wide, sometimes lipped, more or less russeted and often with outspreading russet rays. Calyx medium in size, somewhat open; lobes medium to long, rather narrow, acuminate, often somewhat separated at the base. Basin usually rather large, abrupt, moderately deep to rather shallow, moderately wide, gently furrowed. Skin dark green in the fall but eventually becoming waxen yellow, occasionally with a thin blush of bright red. Dots numerous, submerged or pale areolar with russet point. Calyx tube rather long and wide, broadly funnel-shape. Stamens median to basal. Core medium to small, usually abaxile; cells symmetrical, wide open; core lines slightly clasping. Carpels pointed ovate to broadly cordate, tufted. Seeds numerous, medium in size, rather dark brown, somewhat elongated, plump, acute to acuminate. Flesh yellowish-white, firm, moderately fine or a little coarse, rather crisp, tender, juicy, sprightly, mild subacid, aromatic, good or sometimes very good.
Season January to May.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Lehigh (L. Greening). M | ob | y | G | b | W