Roxbury Russet
Encyclopedia
The Roxbury Russet is an apple
cultivar
. It is believed to be the oldest variety of apple
bred in the United States, having first been discovered and named in the mid-17th century in the former Town of Roxbury
, part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
southwest of (now part of) Boston.
It is a greyish-green russet apple
known for its good winter keeping qualities as well as its suitability for making cider
and juice. It is not widely grown or commercially available due to general commercial disfavor for russet varieties; the dull and heavily marked face makes it hard to sell now.
The yellow-green flesh is firm and coarse-textured, crisp and tart, suited for eating fresh and cooking.
It is available in the 21st century from growers that specialize in heirloom plants.
Ripens September to October.http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/87425/
It is available in autumn in farmer's markets in the Northeast.
It contains 12.87% sugar that ferments to 6% alcohol in hard cider production.
The Roxbury Russet apple affectionately and colloquially called the "Roz" (back when it was popular) has also been known by many other names: "Boston Russet", "Leathercoat", Reinette Rousse de Boston, Howe's Russet, Marietta Russet, Belfre Russet, Jusset, Warner Russet, Silvan Russet, Pitman's Russet, Shippen's Russet, Ruginetta di Boston and Belper Russet.
Grown in Roxbury, Massachusetts, by Joseph Warren, who died in 1755 of a broken neck after falling from a ladder while picking apples.http://www.hiddenholloworchard.com/varieties/roxbury_russet.htmlhttp://www.siloamorchards.com/roxbury_russet.htm
Stores well even without refrigeration; flavor improves in storage.http://www.hiddenholloworchard.com/varieties/roxbury_russet.html
Propagation wood was taken to Connecticut soon after 1649.
Thomas Jefferson planted a number of 'Roxbury Russet' trees in Monticello's South Orchard in 1778.http://explorer.monticello.org/text/index.php?id=165&type=13
Propagated by grafting.http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/87425/
Resistant to scab.http://www.allaboutapples.com/varieties/var_r3.htm#roxburyrusset
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
cultivar
Cultivar
A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...
. It is believed to be the oldest variety of apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
bred in the United States, having first been discovered and named in the mid-17th century in the former Town of Roxbury
Roxbury, Massachusetts
Roxbury is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was one of the first towns founded in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630, and became a city in 1846 until annexed to Boston on January 5, 1868...
, part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
southwest of (now part of) Boston.
It is a greyish-green russet apple
Russet apple
Russeting on apples is a particular type of skin, slightly rough, usually with a greenish-brown to yellowish-brown colour. Many apple cultivars have some natural russeting, but some are almost entirely covered in it, notably the Egremont Russet. Russet apples often exhibit a scent and flavour...
known for its good winter keeping qualities as well as its suitability for making cider
Cider
Cider or cyder is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from apple juice. Cider varies in alcohol content from 2% abv to 8.5% abv or more in traditional English ciders. In some regions, such as Germany and America, cider may be termed "apple wine"...
and juice. It is not widely grown or commercially available due to general commercial disfavor for russet varieties; the dull and heavily marked face makes it hard to sell now.
The yellow-green flesh is firm and coarse-textured, crisp and tart, suited for eating fresh and cooking.
It is available in the 21st century from growers that specialize in heirloom plants.
Ripens September to October.http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/87425/
It is available in autumn in farmer's markets in the Northeast.
It contains 12.87% sugar that ferments to 6% alcohol in hard cider production.
The Roxbury Russet apple affectionately and colloquially called the "Roz" (back when it was popular) has also been known by many other names: "Boston Russet", "Leathercoat", Reinette Rousse de Boston, Howe's Russet, Marietta Russet, Belfre Russet, Jusset, Warner Russet, Silvan Russet, Pitman's Russet, Shippen's Russet, Ruginetta di Boston and Belper Russet.
Grown in Roxbury, Massachusetts, by Joseph Warren, who died in 1755 of a broken neck after falling from a ladder while picking apples.http://www.hiddenholloworchard.com/varieties/roxbury_russet.htmlhttp://www.siloamorchards.com/roxbury_russet.htm
Stores well even without refrigeration; flavor improves in storage.http://www.hiddenholloworchard.com/varieties/roxbury_russet.html
Propagation wood was taken to Connecticut soon after 1649.
Thomas Jefferson planted a number of 'Roxbury Russet' trees in Monticello's South Orchard in 1778.http://explorer.monticello.org/text/index.php?id=165&type=13
Propagated by grafting.http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/87425/
Resistant to scab.http://www.allaboutapples.com/varieties/var_r3.htm#roxburyrusset
scionwood
- Maple Valley Orchards & Nursery Wisconsin
- Trees of Antiquity Paso Robles, CA
fruit
The historic Shirley-Eustis House museum in Roxbury, Massachusetts, was planted in 1993 with five Roxbury Russet apple trees.http://www.earthworksboston.org/page/siteroxbury- The Apple Farm—Bates & Schmitt, Philo, CA http://www.allaboutapples.com/orchard/ca01.htm
- Black Diamond Farm, Trumansburg NY http://www.allaboutapples.com/orchard/ny03.htm
- Foggy Ridge Cider, Dugspur, VA http://www.roundthemountain.org/visit.php?subpage=members
- Greenmantle Nursery, Garberville CA http://www.greenmantlenursery.com/fruit/apples.htm
- Greenwood Farm, Northfield, MA http://www.allaboutapples.com/orchard/ma01.htm
- Lamb Abbey Orchards, Maine—120 varieties of apple http://www.allaboutapples.com/orchard/me.htm
- Liberty Farm, NJ http://www.state.nj.us/cgi-bin/agriculture/jerseyfresh/search.pl?type=roadside&county1=sussex
- McLeod Brothers Orchard, Milford, NH http://www.allaboutapples.com/orchard/nh02.htm
- Meadowbrook Orchards, Sterling, MA http://www.allaboutapples.com/orchard/ma02.htm
- Nashoba Winery, Bolton, MA
- Pavolka Fruit Farm, Michigan City, IN
- Shelburne Orchards, Shelburne, VT http://www.shelburneorchards.com/htm/orchard.htm
- Steiner Flat Orchard, Douglas City, CA—Trinity Heritage Orchard Project, University of California Cooperative Extension http://www.trinityroots.org/id4.html