Red Belle-Fleur

Apple

Red Belle-Fleur

Origin/History

A French variety. Downing characterizes it as "scarcely worth cultivation." Elliott labels it simply "Foreign." It was historically published under names including Belle-Fleur, Striped Belle-Fleur, Belle-Fleur Rouge, Wigwam (Downing), and Red Bellflower (Elliott, Thomas). H.H. Fisher's 1963 USDA survey records "Bellefleur Rouge" as PI No. 245048, received from France in 1958, with the reporting station noted as MdG.

Tree

Not described in source.

Fruit

Size: Large (Downing, Elliott, Thomas).

Form: Oblong conical (Downing, Elliott); regular (Downing).

Stem: Not described in source.

Cavity: Not described in source.

Calyx: Not described in source.

Basin: Not described in source.

Skin: Pale greenish yellow, but nearly covered with red and striped with dark red (Downing). Greenish yellow, covered and striped with red (Elliott). Thomas notes the fruit as "striped."

Flesh/Flavor: Flesh white (Downing, Elliott). Downing describes it as tender, of tolerably mild flavor, and apt to become mealy, rating the fruit "Poor." Elliott describes the flesh as dry. Thomas describes the flavor as "of moderate or poor flavor."

Core/Seeds: Not described in source.

Season

November to January (Downing); November, January (Elliott). Thomas gives the season simply as "Winter."

Uses

Not described in source.

Subtypes/Variants

Not described in source.

Other

Downing rates the variety overall as "Poor" and considers it scarcely worth cultivation.

Book Sources

Described in 4 period pomological works

Nursery Catalog Sources

Found in 2 catalogs (1901–1913) from Illinois

Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1901 — listed as Belle-Fleur Rouge
Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913 — listed as Belle-Fleur Rouge

View original book sources (4)

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.

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

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.

— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)

Belle-Fleur Rouge, or Red Bellflower. Large, oblong conical, striped; of moderate or poor flavor. Winter.

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

Bellefleur Rouge

PI No. 245048 Received From: France 1958 Reporting Sta.: MdG

— H.H. Fisher (USDA ARS), A Survey of Apple Clones in the United States (1963)

Belle Fleur Belle Fleur Rouge Belle-Fleur Belle-Fleur Rouge Bellefleur Rouge Red Bellflower Striped Belle Fleur Striped Belle-Fleur Wigwam Red Winter Pearmain Summer Pound Royal Yellow Bellflower