MAY QUEEN
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
MAY QUEEN
Origin/History
MAY QUEEN was raised by Mr. Haywood of Worcester and introduced by Messrs. Penwill. Bunyard (1920) describes it as "a neglected fruit of great excellence."
Tree
Growth is very dwarf, with extraordinary fertility. MAY QUEEN makes but few laterals, which reduces pruning to a minimum. As a fruit for small gardens grown as cordons or bushes it can hardly be surpassed (Bunyard, 1920). The George Bunyard catalog (1914) notes it does well if protected from the south.
Leaf: Rather dark, nearly flat, small, oval, rather boldly serrate (Bunyard, 1920).
Fruit
Size
Medium. Dimensions: 2¼ inches by 2¾ inches (Bunyard, 1920).
Form
Flat, fairly regular (Bunyard, 1920).
Stem
Medium length, set in a very deep russeted cavity (Bunyard, 1920).
Cavity
Very deep, covered with russet (Bunyard, 1920).
Calyx
Open (Bunyard, 1920).
Basin
Broad and shallow (Bunyard, 1920).
Skin
The two sources give conflicting accounts. Bunyard (1920) describes the color as golden-yellow with a brown-red flush and russet. The George Bunyard catalog (1914) describes the fruit simply as dull red.
Flesh and Flavor
Bunyard (1920) describes the flesh as very crisp, yellow, and juicy, with good flavour. The George Bunyard catalog (1914) describes the flesh as firm and rather fine, with a rich nut-like flavour, and calls it a very pleasant eating apple.
Core/Seeds
Not described in source.
Season
MAY QUEEN is a dessert apple that keeps until May. It is eatable from November and keeps excellently (Bunyard, 1920).
Uses
Dessert. Particularly well suited to small gardens grown as cordons or bushes (Bunyard, 1920).
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 1 period pomological work
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 3 catalogs (1900–1901) from England, Illinois
- George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1900
- 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
View original book sources (2)
— E.A. Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)MAY QUEEN. Dessert, till May, medium, 2¼ by 2¾, flat, fairly regular. Colour, golden-yellow with brown-red flush and russet. Flesh, very crisp, yellow, juicy, and of good flavour. Eye, open, in a broad shallow basin. Stem, medium in a very deep russet cavity. Growth, very dwarf; fertility, extraordinary. Leaf, rather dark, nearly flat, small, oval, rather boldly serrate. Origin, raised by Mr. Haywood, of Worcester, and introduced by Messrs. Penwill. A neglected fruit of great excellence and as a fruit for small gardens as cordons or bushes it can hardly be surpassed. It is eatable in November and keeps excellently. Making but few laterals pruning is reduced to a minimum.
— George Bunyard & Co., George Bunyard Catalog of Fruit Trees (1914) (1914)Dessert; Syn.-May. Medium, dull dull red; Rich nut-like flavour. Flesh firm and rather fine. Very pleasant eating apple. Does well if protected from South.