Winter Queen
Apple
Winter Queen
Origin/History
Winter Queen is a variety of southern origin with many synonyms, noted by Warder (1867) as a favorite in its region. It appears in Coxe's 1817 pomological survey, making it one of the earlier American varieties on record.
Tree
Both sources agree the tree is upright and productive. Coxe (1817) describes it as tall, shooting out straight limbs, and an abundant bearer. Warder (1867) adds that it is thrifty, an early bearer, with limbs long and parallel while young. Shoots are dark and stout. Foliage is large, broad, and rather pale.
Fruit
Size
Coxe (1817) describes the fruit as above the middling size. Warder (1867) describes it as large, often very large.
Form
Coxe (1817) describes the form as oblong, diminishing towards the blossom end. Warder (1867) describes it as globular-oblate, somewhat conic, and regular.
Stem
Medium (Warder).
Cavity
Deep, wide, green, wavy or regular (Warder).
Calyx
Eye medium, closed (Warder).
Basin
Deep, abrupt, narrow, often wavy or even ribbed (Warder).
Skin
Both sources agree the skin is smooth. Coxe (1817) describes the color as a lively bright red streaked with yellow. Warder (1867) provides greater detail: the ground color is yellow, almost wholly obscured with marbled dull red, and darker stripes that are often lost in the depth of tint. Dots are generally small and indented. Often a slight bloom covers the fruit, but it is easily removed, after which the skin appears polished.
Flesh and Flavor
Flesh is greenish-white, tender, almost melting, and juicy (Warder). Flavor is mild sub-acid and agreeable (Warder). Coxe (1817) describes the taste as pleasant, but without any of the fine flavor of a very good table or cider apple. Quality rated good to very good (Warder).
Core and Seeds
Core regular, closed, meeting, not clasping; eye axis is sometimes very short. Seeds large and plump (Warder).
Season
Coxe (1817) gives the ripening time as November. Warder (1867) gives the season as October to January.
Uses
An excellent apple for drying, family use, and market (Warder). Suitable for dessert and kitchen use as well (Warder). Coxe (1817) notes that while pleasant, the flavor does not reach the standard of a fine table or cider apple.
Subtypes/Variants
Not described in source.
Other
Not described in source.
Book Sources
Described in 2 period pomological works
- Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817) — listed as No. 81. Winter Queen
- Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)
USDA Nomenclature (1905)
From W.H. Ragan, Nomenclature of the Apple, USDA Bulletin No. 56
Doubtless same as Buckingham.
Nursery Catalog Sources
Found in 1 catalog (1913) from Illinois
- Benjamin Buckman (personal inventory) , Farmingdale , Illinois — 1913
View original book sources (2)
— William Coxe, A View of the Cultivation of Fruit Trees (1817)NO. 81. WINTER QUEEN. This is a very showy fruit; above the middling size; of an oblong form, diminishing towards the blossom end: the skin is smooth, of a lively bright red streaked with yellow; the taste is pleasant, but without any of the fine flavour of a very good table or cider apple: the form of the tree is upright and tall, shooting out straight limbs; it is an abundant bearer; the time of ripening is November.
— John A. Warder, American Pomology: Apples (1867)Fig. 117.— WINTER QUEEN.
Winter Queen. — [Coxe.] FALL QUEEN — KENTUCKY QUEEN — ROBERTSON'S SUPERB (of Ga.)
This is a favorite, of southern origin, and has many synonims. An excellent apple for drying, for family use and for market. Tree thrifty, upright, productive, early bearer ; limbs long and parallel while young ; shoots dark, stout ; foliage large, broad, rather pale.
Fruit large, often very large, globular-oblate, somewhat conic, regular ; Surface smooth, often polished, yellow, almost wholly obscured with marbled dull red, and darker stripes that are often lost in the depth of tint ; Dots generally small, indented ; often a slight bloom covers the fruit, but it is easily removed, when the skin appears to be polished.
Basin deep, abrupt, narrow, often wavy or even ribbed ; Eye medium, closed.
Cavity deep, wide, green, wavy or regular ; Stem medium.
Core regular, closed, meeting, not clasping the eye axis is sometimes very short ; Seeds large, plump ; Flesh greenish-white, tender, almost melting, juicy ; Flavor mild sub-acid, agreeable ; Quality good to very good ; Use dessert, kitchen and drying ; Season October to January.