Red Gravenstein
Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Red Gravenstein
Origin / History
Bud sports of the Gravenstein bearing red fruit "have appeared at different times" (Beach, 1905). Zielinski (1964) states that many red-fruited bud sports of Gravenstein are available; Red Gravenstein is among them.
Tree
Not described in source.
Fruit
Size: Not described in source.
Form: Not described in source.
Stem: Not described in source.
Cavity: Not described in source.
Calyx: Not described in source.
Basin: Not described in source.
Skin: Fruit red. Some of the red sports appear definitely superior in color; others tend to be mottled and marbled and are not attractive (Zielinski).
Dots: Not described in source.
Flesh and flavor: Some growers and many consumers continue to prefer the flavor of the standard Gravenstein (Zielinski).
Core and seeds: Not described in source.
Season
Not described in source.
Uses
Not described in source.
Subtypes / Variants
Red Gravenstein (Geneva) and Crimson Gravenstein (Vineland) are some of the more prominent red bud sports of Gravenstein. Other strains of Red Gravenstein are Lunen, Bennett, Shaw, Mead, Harrison, Banks, Whipple, and Australia (Zielinski).
Other
Beach refers the reader to Gravenstein, page 84, for a statement concerning such sports.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
- Beach, The Apples of New York Vol. 2 (1905)
- Zielinski, Apple Varieties for Oregon (1964) — listed as Red Gravenstein†
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 16 catalogs (1900–1955) from Missouri, Oregon, Washington
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1906
- C.F. Lansing , Salem , Oregon — 1910
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1910
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1911
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1912
- Hanford Nurseries , Clarkson , Washington — 1913
- The Vineland Nursery Co. , Clarkson , Washington — 1913
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1914
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1915
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1916
- Island Nurseries & Fruit Farm , Vashon (Vashon Island) , Washington — 1917
- Stark Bros. Nurseries & Orchards Co. , Louisiana , Missouri — 1918 — listed as Gravenstein Red
- Columbia & Okanogan Nursery Co. , Wenatchee , Washington — 1925
- Milton Nursery Co. , Milton-Freewater , Oregon — 1947
- Carlton Nursery Co. , Forest Grove , Oregon — 1955
View original book sources (2)
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)RED GRAVENSTEIN.
REFERENCES. 1. Leroy, 1873:339. fig. 2. Can. Hort., 16:362. 1893. 3. Lucas, Ed., Ill. Handb. der Obstk., 1893:250.
SYNONYMS. GRAVENSTEIN ROUGE (1). RED GRAVENSTEIN (2, 3). Rother Gravensteiner (1).
Bud sports of the Gravenstein have appeared at different times which bear red fruit. For a statement concerning such sports the reader is referred to Gravenstein, page 84.
— Quentin B. Zielinski, Apple Varieties for Oregon (1964)Red Gravenstein†
Many red-fruited bud sports of Gravenstein are available, some of the more prominent ones being Red Gravenstein (Geneva), and Crimson Gravenstein (Vineland). Other strains of Red Gravenstein are Lunen, Bennett, Shaw, Mead, Harrison, Banks, Whipple, and Australia. Some of the red sports appear definitely superior in color. Others tend to be mottled and marbled and are not attractive. Some growers and many consumers continue to prefer the flavor of the standard Gravenstein.