The Laxton's Superb is a variety of apple that was developed in England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 in 1897. The variety is a cross breed between Wyken Pippin × Cox's Orange Pippin

Cox's Orange Pippin

Cox's Orange Pippin is an apple cultivar first grown in 1825, at Colnbrook in Buckinghamshire, England, by the retired brewer and horticulturist Richard Cox. Though the origin of the cultivar is unknown, the Ribston Pippin seems a likely candidate. The variety was introduced for sale by the 1850s...

. It is a Classic old Victorian, British apple with a green color and a dull red flush. The fruit are of a firm texture, but are not very good juice producers. This is why the variety is used for eating and not for making cider.

History

Laxton's Superb was first bred in 1897, by Thomas Laxton, who was a famous Victorian

Victorian era

The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...

 plant breeder from Bedford

Bedford

Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...

 in England. The variety is a cross between the Cox's Orange Pippin and Wyken Pippin apple trees. Thomas Laxton was also well known for breeding numerous fruit varieties, (apples and strawberries in particular).
Thomas Laxton's company continued to trade after his death as "Laxton Brothers" as the company was taken over by his sons and grandsons, until it ceased trading in 1957 when it was taken over by Bunyard Nurseries. Bunyard eventually shut down the company and the orchards were built upon. However, the Laxton variety of apple still lives on as the town of Bedford have planted an orchard of the Laxton apple trees.
Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...

 was also believed to have ordered fruit trees and plants for his Chartwell

Chartwell

Chartwell was the principal adult home of Sir Winston Churchill. Churchill and his wife Clementine bought the property, located two miles south of Westerham, Kent, England, in 1922...

 estate in Westerham

Westerham

Westerham is a town and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, in South East England with 5,000 people. The parish is south of the North Downs, ten miles west of Sevenoaks. It covers 5800 acres . It is recorded as early as the 9th century, and was mentioned in the Domesday Book in a...

, Kent

Kent

Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...

. There are also surviving Laxton apple trees at Bank Hall

Bank Hall

Bank Hall is a Jacobean mansion south of the village of Bretherton in Lancashire, England. It is a Grade II* Listed Building. The hall was built on the site of a previous building in 1608 during the reign of James I by the Banastre family who were Lords of the Manor. It was extended during the 18th...

 in Bretherton

Bretherton

Bretherton is a small village and civil parish in the Borough of Chorley, Lancashire, England situated to the south west of Leyland and east of Tarleton. Its name suggests pre-conquest origins and its early history was closely involved with the manor house Bank Hall and the families who lived there...

, Lancashire

Lancashire

Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...

.

Growing and Eco Support

The Laxton Superb is a self fertile species, but may be pollinated by another apple, which will maximise the yield.
The species is grown on M26 rootstock, which when un-pruned can reach a height of 8 - 12 feet (2.4 - 3.65 metres) but generally needs to be kept at a height of 6-8 feet (1.8 - 2.4 metres) to produce a good yield. The Laxton Superb generally flowers from April to May annually. The tree will usually provide a heavy crop which is best to be harvested in October. The fruit is well known for its sweet and aromatic taste which is likened to the parent species it is derived from, the Cox's Orange Pippin. The species has been recommended by the Royal Horticultural Society

Royal Horticultural Society

The Royal Horticultural Society was founded in 1804 in London, England as the Horticultural Society of London, and gained its present name in a Royal Charter granted in 1861 by Prince Albert...

to be an excellent attractant and nectar source for bees and other beneficial insects.