London Pippin

Apple

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

London Pippin

Origin / History

A very old English apple (Downing). Bunyard, citing Ronalds, p. 14, says it "dates probably from the sixteenth century." He calls it "a valuable late fruit little cultivated but much grown in Australia and exported to this country." In America it is much cultivated in Northern Virginia (Thomas). Hansen describes it from specimens grown in the Iowa Experiment Station orchard at Ames, Iowa.

Tree

Productive and fertile. Downing calls it a moderate grower; Bunyard calls the growth vigorous. At Ames, Iowa, Hansen found the tree "not promising as to hardiness." Leaf oval, upfolded, undulating, held out, finely serrate (Bunyard).

Fruit

Size: Large, Thomas giving large or very large. Bunyard alone calls it medium, 3 by 2¾.

Form: Roundish to round conical, slightly conical or obtuse-conical. Slightly flattened, flattened at the base (Downing) or truncated (Hansen). Obscurely ribbed (Hansen); irregular (Bunyard).

Stem: Very short to rather short, slender (Bunyard). Hansen alone calls it medium.

Cavity: Deep. Hansen calls it wide, regular, and russeted; Bunyard calls it narrow.

Calyx: Closed (Downing, Hansen, Bunyard). Downing calls it small; Thomas calls it large.

Basin: Shallow and small, ribbed (Hansen), with five prominent ribs (Bunyard). Thomas calls the basin smooth and even.

Skin: Yellow to greenish yellow or yellowish green. Downing describes a tinge of red in the sun, and Bunyard a dull brown-red flush. Handsome in appearance (Thomas).

Dots: Large, suffused, white, few (Hansen).

Flesh and flavor: Flesh white, crisp (Bunyard), rather firm (Downing), fine grained, juicy (Hansen). Subacid in most accounts; Bunyard calls it acid. Quality "good" (Downing, Hansen); Thomas calls it "of a good second-rate flavor."

Core and seeds: Core small, barely clasping (Hansen).

Season

Early winter; the recorded season runs from November into March. Bunyard gives till March and says it keeps without shriveling.

Uses

Mostly valued for cooking or drying (Downing); culinary (Bunyard). From its large size and handsome appearance it sells well in the Washington market (Thomas).

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Not described in source.

Book Sources

Described in 4 period pomological works

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 3 catalogs (1900–1913) from Illinois

Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901
Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913

View original book sources (4)

London Pippin. Five-Crowned Pippin. New London Pippin. Royal Somerset A very old English Apple, mostly valued for cooking or drying. Tree a moderate grower, productive. Fruit large, roundish, slightly conical, flattened at base, yellow, with a tinge of red in the sun. Calyx small, closed. Flesh white, rather firm, subacid. Good. November to February.

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

London Pippin—Specimens from Iowa Experiment Station orchard, Ames, Iowa; tree not promising as to hardiness—Fruit large, roundish, truncated, slightly conical, obscurely ribbed; surface yellow; dots large, suffused, white, few; cavity deep, wide, regular, russeted; stem medium; basin shallow, small, ribbed; calyx closed. Core small, barely clasping; flesh white, juicy, fine grained, subacid, good. Early winter.

— N.E. Hansen, A Study of Northwestern Apples (1902)

London Pippin. Large or very large, roundish, slightly flattened, obtuse-conical; greenish yellow; stalk very short; calyx large, in a smooth even basin; flesh sub-acid, of a good second-rate flavor. Early winter. Much cultivated in Northern Virginia; and from its large size and handsome appearance sells well in the Washington market. Productive.

— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)

LONDON PIPPIN. Ronalds, p. 14. F., Pepin de Londres ; G., London Peppin. [Citron d'Hiver, Five Crown Pippin, Royal Somerset (error).] Culinary, till March, medium, 3 by 2¾, round conical, irregular. Colour, yellowish-green with dull brown-red flush. Flesh, crisp, white, acid. Eye, closed, in a shallow basin which has five prominent ribs. Stem, slender, rather short in a deep narrow cavity. Growth, vigorous ; fertile. Keeps without shrivelling. Leaf, oval, upfolded, undulating, held out, finely serrate. Origin, dates probably from the sixteenth century. A valuable late fruit little cultivated but much grown in Australia and exported to this country.

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

Citron d'Hiver Five Crown Pippin Five-Crowned Pippin New London Pippin Royal Somerset Royal Somerset