Mrs. Phillimore

Apple

Mrs. Phillimore

Origin / History

Raised by Mr. Charles Ross from a cross of Lord Burghley and Gladstone, and introduced in 1900 by Messrs. George Bunyard & Co. First described in the Gardeners' Chronicle, 1900, p. 249. Bunyard (1920) characterizes it as "a nice apple worthy of further trial" and likens it to "a smaller and sweeter Cox's Pomona." Veitch (1911) describes it as "rare and valuable."

Tree

Growth upright, spreading; spurs well; vigor moderate; fertile. Leaf undulating, little upcupped, long oval, deeply serrate.

Fruit

Size and Form: Bunyard describes the fruit as smallish, measuring 2¼ inches wide by 2 inches tall, flattened conical, and irregular in outline. Veitch describes the fruit as medium size — a slight discrepancy, likely reflecting variation or differing standards of measure.

Stem: Medium length, set in a very wide and deep cavity.

Cavity: Very wide and deep, lined with russet.

Calyx / Eye: Open; tips reflexed.

Basin: Rather deep, boldly ribbed.

Skin: Pale yellow ground, covered with a red flush and broad, broken, faint stripes.

Flesh and Flavor: Flesh very tender, greenish, and remarkably sweet (Bunyard). Veitch adds that the fruit is richly flavoured and aromatic — details not separately stated by Bunyard, and together suggesting a complex sweet-aromatic character.

Season

Ripens in October (Veitch). A dessert apple that keeps until March (Bunyard), placing it in the late-season to winter category.

Uses

Dessert.

Subtypes / Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Not described in source.

Book Sources

Described in 1 period pomological work

Bunyard, A Handbook of Hardy Fruits (1920)

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 2 catalogs (1900–1911) from England

George Bunyard & Co. , Royal Nurseries, Maidstone, Kent , England — 1900
James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911

View original book sources (2)

MRS. PHILLIMORE. Gard. Chron., 1900, p. 249. Dessert, till March, smallish, 2¼ by 2, flattened conical, irregular. Colour, pale yellow, covered with red flush and broad broken faint stripes. Flesh, very tender, greenish, remarkably sweet. Eye, open, tips reflexed, in a rather deep, boldly ribbed basin. Stem, medium in a very wide and deep russet lined cavity. Growth, upright, spreading, spurs well, moderate; fertile. Leaf, undulating, little upcupped, long oval, deeply serrate. Origin, raised by Mr. Charles Ross from Lord Burghley and Gladstone, and introduced in 1900, by Messrs. George Bunyard & Co. A nice apple worthy of further trial; it may be described as a smaller and sweeter Cox's Pomona.

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

medium size, richly flavoured and aromatic, rare and valuable variety. October

— James Veitch & Sons, Veitch's Fruit Trees (1911) (1911)