Red Siberian
Crab Apple
USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection
Red Siberian
Origin / History
Originated in France (Thomas; Budd and Hansen). Hedrick adds that when and where in France "does not appear." He says it is not known when it was brought to America, "although it must have been one of the first to be imported, since it was described as early as 1803." Beach's references begin with Forsyth in 1803. The early accounts, Coxe's of 1817 among them, carry it as the Siberian Crab. Beach's references give the name Red Siberian Crab from Kenrick in 1835 and Red Siberian from Gregg in 1857 onward. Elliott places the Siberian crabs under "the Pyrus baccata of botanists."
Bunyard records it as "grown in England for over 150 years." It was planted for test at the Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz, British Columbia, in the spring of 1894. Zielinski includes it in Apple Varieties for Oregon (1964).
A beautiful, ornamental fruit. Coxe calls it "a very beautiful apple," much admired for its great beauty and fine flavor. Beach calls it "decidedly ornamental." Hedrick calls tree and fruit ornamental, but says the fruits "are too small to find favor for any purpose." In 1922 he judged the variety "rapidly passing from cultivation."
Tree
Very hardy, productive, and handsome in appearance. Coxe calls it "a great bearer," seldom injured by spring frosts, and Thomas calls it "free-growing." Hedrick describes it as erect, with rather long, slender twigs. Fruit borne in clusters.
On size and vigor the sources conflict. Coxe calls it of "a small and delicate growth," and Hedrick calls it rather small though vigorous. The Agassiz station records a strong grower, and Bunyard says it "makes a large tree in favourable soils."
Fruit
Size: Small, three-quarters of an inch to an inch in diameter. Coxe gives "the size of a very large cherry, which it resembles in colour, skin and stalk," and Downing gives about three-quarters of an inch. Thomas calls it medium at about an inch, and the Agassiz station also records it as of medium size.
Form: Round-oblate, roundish oblate, or round and rather flat, to somewhat oblong. Downing calls it very regularly formed, while Beach calls it irregularly elliptical.
Stem: Long, thin, and very slender, nearly two inches long (Downing). Bunyard likens the small fruits on long stems to a cherry.
Cavity: Acute, medium in width and depth (Beach).
Calyx: Small to medium, often deciduous (Beach). Downing gives it small and slightly sunk.
Basin: But slightly depressed (Beach).
Skin: Smooth, the ground clear, pale, or golden yellow, overlaid with lively red or lively scarlet. Beach describes it as striped and blushed. Thomas gives one side scarlet and Bunyard a scarlet cheek, while the Agassiz station gives yellow covered with bright red; Zielinski records the color simply as red. Overspread with a blue bloom (Beach), and highly polished when the bloom is rubbed off (Downing).
Dots: Not described in source.
Flesh and flavor: Flesh yellow, firm, subacid, astringent. Coxe calls it "rich" and speaks of its "fine flavour."
Core and seeds: Not described in source.
Season
The recorded season runs from August into October. Downing and Beach give September and October, Downing as the time the fruit is fit for preserving. The Agassiz station gives August, and Zielinski gives an approximate ripening date of October 1 in Oregon. Elliott says all crabs, if left on the tree, "will naturally dry and preserve themselves."
Uses
Chiefly a preserving fruit, and grown for ornament. Elliott says the Siberian crabs are "all used only for preserving, or grown for ornament." Bunyard calls it "excellent for jelly."
Beach calls the flesh "good for culinary uses." Thomas finds the fruit "not so good for culinary purposes as larger varieties."
Subtypes / Variants
Hedrick warns that Red Siberian is not to be confused with Large Red Siberian, whose fruits and trees are larger and whose foliage is coarser. Elliott lists a number of Siberian crab varieties: Red, Large Red, Yellow, Purple, Striped, Transparent, Oblong, Double White, Fragrant, Cherry, Showy, Astrachan, and Currant.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 8 period pomological works
- Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817) — listed as Siberian Crab
- Beach, The Apples of New York Vol. 2 (1905)
- Budd & Hansen, Systematic Pomology (1914)
- Downing, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)
- Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)
- Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)
- Zielinski, Apple Varieties for Oregon (1964)
- Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865) — listed as Siberian Crab
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 6 catalogs (1845–1911) from California, England, Massachusetts
- Winship's Nursery (Brighton Nurseries , operated by the Winship family), Brighton (Boston) , Massachusetts — 1845
- St. Helena Nursery , Howell Prairie, Marion County, OR (Marion Co., Ogn.) — 1864
- W.R. Strong & Co. , Capital and Orange Hill Nurseries (Robert Williamson, prop.), Sacramento , California — 1886
- Central Experimental Farm , Dominion Department of Agriculture, Agassiz, British Columbia (under test; Bulletin No. 3, Second Series) — 1900
- Russellville Nursery Co. , Montavilla Station, Portland, OR (three miles east of Portland, one mile from Montavilla car line) — 1907
- James Veitch & Sons , Ltd., Royal Exotic Nursery, Chelsea, London (also Coombe Wood, Langley, and Feltham) , England — 1911 — listed as Siberian, red
View original book sources (10)
— William Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817)NO. 11. SIBERIAN CRAB.
The Siberian crab is a very beautiful apple; of the size of a very large cherry, which it resembles in colour, skin and stalk. They are principally used for preserving, and are much admired for their great beauty and fine flavour: they grow in clusters, with long thin stems; the flesh is rich and yellow, the tree is of a small and delicate growth; very hardy, and of a handsome appearance—it is a great bearer, and is seldom injured by Spring frosts.
— F.R. Elliott, The Western Fruit Book (1865)Siberian Crab. The Pyrus baccata of botanists. There are a number of varieties, as Red, Large Red, Yellow, Purple, Striped, Transparent, Oblong, Double White, Fragrant, Cherry, Showy, Astrachan, Currant, all used only for preserving, or grown for ornament. All Crabs, if left on the tree, will naturally dry and preserve themselves.
— A.J. Downing, The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America (1900)Red Siberian Crab.
Fruit about three-fourths of an inch in diameter, very regularly formed, and rather flat. Skin smooth, of a lively scarlet over a clear yellow ground, and, when the bloom is rubbed off, is highly polished. Stalk nearly two inches long, and very slender. Calyx small, slightly sunk. Fit for preserving in September and October.
— John J. Thomas, The American Fruit Culturist (1903)Red Siberian.* Medium, about an inch in diameter, round-oblate; yellow, one side scarlet. A free-growing, handsome tree, but the fruit not so good for culinary purposes as larger varieties. France.
— S.A. Beach, The Apples of New York, Vol. 2 (1905)RED SIBERIAN.
REFERENCES. 1. Forsyth, 1803:57. 2. Coxe, 1817:106. 3. Fessenden, 1828:129. 4. Kenrick, 1832:57. 5. Ib., 1835:75. 6. Downing, 1845:147. 7. Thomas, 1849:158. 8. Cole, 1849:137. 9. Barry, 1851:287. 10. Elliott, 1854:157. 11. Gregg, 1857:62. fig. 12. Downing, 1869:426. 13. Fitz, 1872:147. 14. Thomas, 1875:208. 15. Montreal Hort. Soc. Rpt., 10:39. 1884. 16. Lyon, Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt., 1890:300. 17. Bailey, An. Hort., 1892:248. 18. Lyon, U. S. Pom. Bul., 6:11. 1897. 19. Budd-Hansen, 1903:224.
SYNONYMS. RED SIBERIAN (11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19). RED SIBERIAN CRAB (5, 8, 9, 12). SIBERIAN CRAB (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 13, 14).
Origin France (19). Fruit small, decidedly ornamental, borne in clusters. It is three-quarters of an inch to an inch in diameter, roundish oblate to somewhat oblong, irregularly elliptical; stem long and slender; cavity acute, medium in width and depth; calyx small to medium, often deciduous; basin but slightly depressed. Skin smooth, pale yellow striped and blushed with lively red and overspread with blue bloom; flesh subacid, astringent, good for culinary uses. Season September and October.
— J.L. Budd & N.E. Hansen, American Horticultural Manual, Part II: Systematic Pomology (1914)Red Siberian. — Origin, France. Fruit about three-fourths of an inch in diameter, very regularly formed and rather flat. Skin smooth, of a lively scarlet over a clear yellow ground, and, when the bloom is rubbed off, is highly polished. Stalk nearly two inches long, and very slender; calyx small, slightly sunk. Fit for preserving in September and October. (Downing.)
— U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits (1922)RED SIBERIAN. This variety is not to be confused with Large Red Siberian, the fruits and trees of which are larger and the foliage coarser. Tree and fruit are ornamental, but the fruits are too small to find favor for any purpose. The variety is rapidly passing from cultivation. Red Siberian originated in France, but when and where does not appear; nor is it known when it was brought to America, although it must have been one of the first to be imported, since it was described as early as 1803. Tree rather small, vigorous, erect, very hardy, productive, with rather long, slender twigs. Fruit small, borne in clusters, ¾ inch in diameter, round-oblate to oblong, irregularly elliptical; stem long and slender; cavity acute, medium in width and depth; calyx small to medium, often deciduous; basin but slightly depressed; skin smooth, pale yellow striped and blushed with lively red and overspread with blue bloom; flesh subacid, astringent, good for culinary uses; September and October.
— Quentin B. Zielinski, Apple Varieties for Oregon (1964)Red Siberian
Skin color: Red Approximate ripening date: October 1 Flesh characteristics: Firm, astringent
— Central Experimental Farm, Central Experimental Farm, Agassiz BC — Catalogue of Fruit Trees under Test (Bulletin No. 3, 1900) (1900)Planted Spring 1894. Tree a strong grower. Fruit of medium size, round, flat. Skin smooth, yellow, covered with bright red. Season August.
— George Bunyard & Co., George Bunyard Catalog of Fruit Trees (1914) (1914)Small fruits on long stems, like a cherry, scarlet cheek on golden yellow; makes a large tree in favourable soils; excellent for jelly. Grown in England for over 150 years.