Apple Index - "Rall's Janet to Red Rebel"
Rainbow
Description: Very Large, conical; skin yellow with stripes and splashes of scarlet and red; flesh yellow, fine-grained, juicy. Ripe August.
History: A Missouri apple sold by Stark Bro's Nursery around 1900 and listed by a Virginia nursery from 1898-1901. Rediscovered by Tom Burford.
Uses: Fresh Eating
Rall’s Janet (Rawle’s Janet, Geneton, Neverfail, Rawle’s Genet, Jeniton, Gennetting, Jannetting, Rock Rimmon, Rock Remain, Raul’s Genet, Rollings Jenneting, Rock of Remon, Jefferson Pippin, Red Neverfail, Royal Janette, Winter Genneting, Yellow Janet)
Description: Fruit below to above medium, larger if property thinned, roundish oblate, conical; skin yellow or greenish, blushed and mottled pinkish red and striped with darker red or crimson on the sunny side, often with a light bloom that gives the fruit a dull appearance; dots numerous, small, whitish or russet. Flesh whitish yellow, fine-grained, crisp, juicy, mild subacid. Ripe October and an excellent keeper.
History: This apple first came to notice in this country in the 1790s, being grown by Caleb Ralls (1750-1823) in Amherst County, Virginia. The most conservative and believable theory concerning the origin of Ralls Janet is that it originated as a seedling on the farm of Caleb Ralls or somewhere nearby and was named Janet by him. The name Janet may be a spelling variation on the old English name Jennet or Genit, which originally meant a crossbreed or hybrid.
Uses: Multipurpose, Stores well
Ramsey Limbertwig
Ramsey Limbertwig is one of the many outstanding Limbertwig apple varieties recently discovered by noted apple hunter, Tom Brown. Very similar in flavor and appearance to Fall Limbertwig. Fruit is large, slightly flattened in shape with dark and light red skin over a greenish base. The yellowish flesh is very firm and crisp and very juicy. Makes outstanding cider. Ripens September/October and is a great keeper.
Uses: Multipurpose, Stores well
Description from Big Horse Creek Farm at bighorsecreekfarm.com.
Rattle Core (Rattler, Rattle-Box?, Hollow Core Pippin?)
Description: Fruit medium, roundish, prominently lobed from top to bottom; skin pale yellow thinly striped with red; dots few, russet. Flesh white, tender, juicy, mild subacid. Seeds rattle audibly when the apple is shaken. Ripe July.
History: From 1869 to 1904 the Franklin Davis Nursery in Richmond listed but did not describe an apple called Hollow Core Pippin, and Downing (1878) describes what is probably this same apple under the name Rattle-Box.
Rawley (Raleigh)
Description: Fruit medium, round, flattened on the ends; skin yellow, partly to mostly covered with bright red; dots almost large, scattered, whitish. Ripe September.
History: Rawley Duncan Stallard (1771-1856) amassed considerable land on the Clinch River in Virginia. An undated newspaper article says: “The home orchard which lasted more years than any other in Scott County was the cluster of trees planted by Rawley Stallard on the farm now owned by William Banner. It is a documented fact that some six or eight apple trees, without any expert care such as pruning or spraying, there grew and bore a bumper crisp for more than one hundred and fifty years.”
Ray Apple (Munson Sweet, Orange Sweet, Meacham Sweet, Orange, Rag Apple, Northern Sweet)
Description: Medium roundish to roundish conical, skin dull yellow with red stripes often has an orange hue; dots small, brown inconspicuous; cavity medium, acute sometimes with faint russet, stem medium; basin somewhat shallow, narrow with mostly closed calyx. Ripe September.
History: Another apple from Avery County, North Carolina. This tree was collected by Doug Hundley.
Uses: Multipurpose, Does not store well
Reasor Green (Resor Green)
From the 1887 catalog of Silver Leaf Nurseries, Lee County, Virginia; “New. Originated with Peter Reasor, Esq., of this county. Fruit above medium, roundish ovate, green with a faint blush, flavor mild subacid and excellent...November to April.” Ripens Late September in SHAO.
Uses: Fresh Eating, Drying, Stores well
Rebel (American Rebel, America)
Description: Fruit medium, round to roundish oblate; skin red on a yellow background, often heavily striped, usually with a bloom; dots numerous, small, gray. Flesh yellowish white, subacid. Ripe September.
History: Rebel originated about 1850 on the farm of Captain Charles B. Wood of Rappahannock County, Virginia.
Uses: Fresh Eating
Red Astrachan (Red Ashmore, Early Rus, Deterding’s Early, Abe Lincoln, Red Astracan, Astrakan, Astrachan Red, Hamper’s American, American Red, Captain, Early Red)
Description: Fruit below to above medium, roundish to slightly oblate, usually lobed; skin thin, smooth, nearly covered with bright red, sometimes with indistinct crimson stripes, with a heavy bloom much like a plum; dots numerous, prominent, white. Flesh white often tinged red, rather coarse, crisp, moderately juicy, aromatic, acid to brisk subacid. Ripe June/July.
History: This popular American apple originated in Russia. It was subsequently grown in Sweden and from there trees were imported into England before 1816. Red Astrachan was one of the first Russian apple varieties to reach America, being received by the Massachusetts Horticultural Society from London in 1835. A mere ten years later it was listed by a nursery in Kentucky.
Uses: Multipurpose, Does not store well
Red Beitingheimer (Beitigheimer, Bietigheimer, Bodenheimer)
Description: Fruit large to very large, roundish to roundish oblate, slightly conical, lobed; skin thick, tough, smooth, mostly covered with light and dark red with some obscure stripes; dots numerous, prominent, grayish or light-colored. Flesh white, firm, coarse, not very juicy, somewhat tough, briskly subacid. Ripe August/September.
History: This old German apple was brought to this country before 1880. In Europe, Red Bietigheimer was first described in 1598, where it was known by the name Roter Stettiner. The fruit is notable mostly for its large size and lovely color as its coarse, rather tough flesh makes it mainly a cooking apple.
Uses: Cooking
Red Cathead (Cathead)
Description: Fruit large, roundish conical; skin partly to completely shaded with red, sometimes with faint stripes; dots numerous, prominent, whitish and russet, some areole. Flesh yellowish, tender, juicy, subacid. Ripe September/October.
History: A Virginia apple first described in 1853 and listed by Virginia nurseries from 1873 to 1880. Said by Downing (1878) to have been grown extensively in eastern and southwestern Virginia.
Uses: Fresh Eating
Red Detroit
Description: Fruit medium, roundish, flattened on the ends, often oblique; skin almost covered with dark red except where shaded by a leaf; dots numerous, small, reddish, and gray. Flesh whitish, coarse, moderately crisp and juicy, subacid. Ripe late August/September.
History: The southern apple called Red Detroit is of unknown origin but has been grown for almost a century in north Georgia, especially around the town of Blue Ridge.
Uses: Fresh Eating, Drying
Red Indian Sweet (Red Indian)
Description: Fruit medium or above, roundish, conical, skin yellow with small brown dots. Can have light russeting. Cavity abrupt with medium length stem, can be russeted that can spill over top. Basin small, shallow with open calyx. Flesh sweet and mild-flavored. A summer apple, ripe early August.
History: An apple by the name of Red Indian was sold in 1858 by Staunton Nurseries of Staunton, Virginia, without description. An apple named Red Indian Sweet, of North Carolina origin, was sold by Lawson’s Nursery in Georgia in the 1980s, but nothing is known of its origin.
Uses: Fresh Eating
Red June (Carolina Red June, Red Juneating, June, Blush June, Georgia June, Knight’s Red June, Summer Red, Jones June, Improved Red June, Red Harvest, Carolina Red, Jones Early Harvest, Sheepnose Crab, Everbearing Red June)
Description: Fruit small to medium, roundish oblong to quite oblong, inclining to conical; skin smooth, almost entirely covered with red, which is darker on the sunny side; dots minute and obscure. Flesh white, sometimes stained red on the sunny side, fine-grained, tender, moderately juicy, brisk subacid. Ripe June/July in most of the South.
History: Early listings of southern apples, in 1798 and 1804 Virginia newspapers, both include a “June Apple.” We cannot be sure that this is Red June. W. H. Ragan, author of the USDA publication Nomenclature of the Apple (1905), left a handwritten “personal recollection” in the USDA files concerning Red June. He wrote that about 1827 a Tennessean named Lewis Shell settled near Mr. Ragan’s father and Indian and brought with him scions of Carolina Red June. This is the earliest reliable report of Carolina Red June and means that his variety certainly originated before 1800.
Uses: Multipurpose, Stores well for season
Red Limbertwig (James River, Limbertwig, Green Limbertwig, Mountain Limbertwig, Brushy Mountain Limbertwig, Common Limbertwig, American Limbertwig, Red Jewel)
Description: Fruit medium, roundish, slightly conical; skin rather rough, greenish yellow with a dull red blush on the sunny side, stripes indistinct if present at all; dots medium size, numerous, light brown. Flesh whitish, firm, juicy, slightly acid or briskly subacid. Ripe October and a good keeper.
History: This all-purpose winter apple is almost certainly the oldest Limbertwig, and the fruit is an excellent winter keeper. Not of high flavor but improves in storage.
Uses: Cooking, Drying, Stores well
Red Potts (Potts, Brushy)
Description: large, roundish conical; skin yellow with a dull red blush; flesh dry, slightly acid. Ripe September.
History: Believed extinct, Tom Brown found an apple called Red Potts that almost certainly is the same apple. Three trees were found in Statesville and Taylorsville, North Carolina, including a tree in Henry Tevepaugh’s orchard in Alexander County.
Uses: Cider
Red Rebel
Description: Fruit medium or below, round; skin thick, mostly to entirely covered with purplish red and occasionally some inconspicuous stripes; dots numerous, small, gray. Flesh greenish white, fine-grained, moderately juicy and crisp, subacid. Has bitter skin so Lee recommends peeling before eating. Ripe August/September. Ripens October in SHAO.
History: Nurserywoman Joyce Neighbors of Gadsden, Alabama, found a tree called Red Rebel in an orchard planted in the 1930s on her sister-in-law’s farm near Wedowee, Alabama.
Uses: Multipurpose