Red Belle-Fleur
AppleRed Belle-Fleur
Origin / History
Elliott (1865) marks it "Foreign." Downing (1900) calls it "A French variety, scarcely worth cultivation."
Tree
Not described in source.
Fruit
Size: Large.
Form: Oblong conical; regular (Downing).
Stem: Not described in source.
Cavity: Not described in source.
Calyx: Not described in source.
Basin: Not described in source.
Skin: Greenish yellow, pale in Downing, covered or nearly covered with red and striped; the stripes dark red (Downing).
Dots: Not described in source.
Flesh and flavor: Flesh white, dry (Elliott); tender, of tolerably mild flavor, apt to become mealy (Downing). Quality poor (Downing). Thomas gives the flavor as "moderate or poor."
Core and seeds: Not described in source.
Season
November to January. Thomas gives simply winter.
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes / Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903) — listed as Belle-Fleur Rouge
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)
- Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865) — listed as Red Bellflower
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 8 catalogs (1850–1913) from Illinois, Massachusetts
- Azell Bowditch (Nursery / Fruit Catalog) , Boston , Massachusetts — 1850 — listed as Belle Fleur
- Joseph Breck & Co. , Boston , Massachusetts — 1855 — listed as Belle Fleur
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901 — listed as Belle-Fleur Rouge
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901 — listed as Red Bellflower
- Russellville Nursery Co. , Russellville, OR (three miles east of Portland, one mile from Montavilla car line) — 1903 — listed as Red Bellflower
- Russellville Nursery Co. , Montavilla Station, Portland, OR (three miles east of Portland, one mile from Montavilla car line) — 1907 — listed as Red Bellflower
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913 — listed as Belle-Fleur Rouge
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913 — listed as Red Bellflower
View original book sources (3)
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Red Bellflower. Red Belle Fleur, | Belle Fleur, Belle Fleur Rouge, | Striped Belle Fleur, of some. Foreign. Large, oblong conical, greenish yellow, covered and striped with red ; flesh, white, dry. November, January.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Red Belle-Fleur. Belle-Fleur. Striped Belle-Fleur. Belle-Fleur Rouge. Wigwam. A French variety, scarcely worth cultivation. Fruit large, regular, oblong conical, pale greenish yellow, but nearly covered with red, striped with dark red. Flesh white, tender, of tolerably mild flavor, apt to become mealy. Poor. November to January.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Belle-Fleur Rouge, or Red Bellflower. Large, oblong conical, striped; of moderate or poor flavor. Winter.
[Additional entry in this volume: "Red Bellflower", pp. 743–743]
Striped Belle Fleur. See Red Bellflower.