Red Cathead
AppleRed Cathead
Origin/History
Red Cathead is a Southern variety, extensively grown in the eastern and southwestern counties of Virginia. It is also known in some localities as the Cathead.
Tree
The tree is upright, vigorous, and productive. Young wood is dull reddish brown and downy.
Fruit
Size and Form
The fruit is large (Elliott describes it as medium) and roundish conic in form.
Stem
The stalk is short.
Cavity
The cavity is deep.
Calyx
Downing describes the calyx as open; Elliott describes it as half open.
Basin
The basin is large.
Skin
The skin is yellow, partially shaded with dull red, and sometimes deeper red in the sun-exposed areas. The surface is thickly sprinkled with whitish dots.
Flesh and Flavor
The flesh is yellowish, tender, and juicy, with a pleasant subacid flavor. Quality is rated good to very good.
Season
October and November.
Uses
Kitchen use. Lowther classifies it as an autumn variety.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 3 period pomological works
View original book sources (3)
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Red Cathead.
Cathead of some.
Tree upright, vigorous, and productive, extensively grown in the eastern and southwestern counties of Virginia. Young wood dull reddish brown, downy.
Fruit large, roundish conic, yellow, partially shaded with dull red, and sometimes deeper red in the shade, and thickly sprinkled with whitish dots. Stalk short, inserted in a deep cavity. Calyx open, set in a large basin. Flesh yellowish, tender, juicy, pleasant subacid. Good to very good. October, November.
— Granville Lowther (ed.), Encyclopedia of Practical Horticulture (1914)Red Cathead: size large; form roundish conical; season rs; quality a; use kitchen; geographic autumn.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Red Cathead.
Southern. Fruit, medium, roundish, yellow, shaded with red, whitish dots ; stem, short ; cavity, deep ; calyx, half open ; flesh, yellowish, tender, juicy, pleasant ; "very good." October, November.