Old Royal Russet

Origin/History

Old Royal Russet is of probable English origin. It was first recorded in 1597, making it one of the older documented varieties in cultivation. Bunyard (1920) places it among the best of its class. Elliott (1865) characterizes it simply as "Foreign," reflecting its non-American provenance from the perspective of mid-nineteenth-century American pomologists.

Tree

Growth vigorous and fertile. Leaves long oval, very dark, upfolded and undulated, with broadly curved serration. (Bunyard; not described in Elliott or Downing.)

Fruit

Size and Form

Elliott and Downing describe the fruit as medium-sized and roundish. Bunyard, however, gives it as fairly large, measuring 3¼ inches by 2¼ inches, with a form described as flattened round and irregular — conflicting with the roundish form and medium size given by the earlier American sources.

Stem

Slender, set in a very wide cavity. (Bunyard; not described in Elliott or Downing.)

Cavity

Very wide. (Bunyard; not described in Elliott or Downing.)

Calyx

Eye closed, seated in a wide and shallow basin. (Bunyard; not described in Elliott or Downing.)

Basin

Wide and shallow. (Bunyard; not described in Elliott or Downing.)

Skin

Elliott and Downing describe the color as gray russet on a green ground. Bunyard describes it as entirely green, covered with brown russet — consistent in substance, with the difference lying in russet hue (gray vs. brown) and whether green or russet is characterized as predominant.

Flesh and Flavor

Elliott and Downing agree: flesh greenish white, sharp subacid. Bunyard gives a conflicting account: flesh tender, greenish-yellow in color, and sweet in flavor. The two American sources thus differ from Bunyard on both flesh color (greenish white vs. greenish-yellow) and flavor (sharp subacid vs. sweet).

Core/Seeds

Not described in any source.

Season

Elliott and Downing give the season as November through February. Bunyard describes it as a culinary apple keeping until March, suggesting a somewhat longer storage period.

Uses

Culinary. (Bunyard; not specified in Elliott or Downing.)

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in any source.

Other

Bunyard records the variety under the heading "Royal Russet," citing Ronalds (p. 29) as an early reference, with French equivalent Reinette Grise Royale and German Koeniglicher Russet. He notes that the name Reinette de Canada Grise is an erroneous synonym. Both Elliott and Downing list Leather Coat Russet as an associated name; Bunyard likewise notes it as used by some.