Winter Queen

Winter Queen

Origin and History

Winter Queen is a variety of southern origin with numerous synonyms, noted as a favorite in American pomological literature. It was described by William Coxe in 1817 and later catalogued by Warder (1867), who cited Coxe as his authority. Warder lists it under the synonyms Fall Queen, Kentucky Queen, and Robertson's Superb (of Georgia), reflecting its regional prevalence across the American South.

Tree

The tree is upright and thrifty. Coxe describes it as tall, shooting out straight limbs; Warder adds that the limbs are long and parallel while young. Shoots are dark and stout. Foliage is large, broad, and rather pale. The tree is an abundant and early bearer, productive and vigorous.

Fruit

Size and Form: The two sources offer somewhat differing characterizations. Coxe describes the fruit as above middling size, of an oblong form, diminishing towards the blossom end. Warder describes it as large, often very large, globular-oblate, somewhat conic, and regular. The "somewhat conic" taper in Warder is consistent with Coxe's narrowing toward the blossom end, but the overall form — oblong per Coxe, globular-oblate per Warder — differs and may reflect variability or differing specimens.

Stem: Medium length (Warder).

Cavity: Deep, wide, green; wavy or regular (Warder).

Calyx and Basin: Eye medium, closed. Basin deep, abrupt, and narrow, often wavy or even ribbed (Warder).

Skin: Smooth, often polished (Warder). The two sources describe the coloring somewhat differently: Coxe calls it a lively bright red streaked with yellow; Warder describes the ground color as yellow, almost wholly obscured with marbled dull red and darker stripes that are often lost in the depth of tint. Both agree on a red-over-yellow character, but Coxe emphasizes the brightness and clarity of the red, while Warder emphasizes the heavy, marbled, nearly obscuring overlay of duller red. A slight bloom covers the fruit in some specimens but is easily rubbed off, revealing the polished skin beneath (Warder). Dots generally small and indented (Warder).

Flesh: Greenish-white, tender, almost melting, juicy (Warder).

Core: Regular, closed, meeting but not clasping; the eye axis is sometimes very short. Seeds large and plump (Warder).

Flavor and Quality: The sources diverge in their assessment. Coxe found the taste pleasant but judged it without the fine flavor of a very good table or cider apple. Warder rates the flavor as mild sub-acid and agreeable, with quality good to very good.

Season

Coxe gives November as the time of ripening. Warder gives a season of October to January, suggesting the fruit ripens in mid-fall and keeps into winter.

Uses

An excellent apple for drying, and well suited for family use and market (Warder). Also used as a dessert and kitchen apple (Warder). Coxe's lower flavor assessment suggests its value lay more in its showy appearance, productivity, and utility than in exceptional eating quality.