Worldwide, there are now several thousand apple varieties based on natural crosses and targeted breeding that have become established in commercial plantations and private gardens. Determining them is not always easy.
How can I identify my apple tree?
To identify an apple tree, you should observe the tree's appearance throughout the year, note the flowering time and flower color, note the fall color of the leaves, and finally examine the harvest time, color, shape, peel pattern and taste of the apples. If you are unsure, pomologists can help.
Identify old varieties and plant new ones
Hobby gardeners are often confronted with the question of identifying apple varieties when they harvest particularly tasty apples from an old apple tree and want to replant this tree after an illness or fungal attack. These classic apple varieties include, for example, the following varieties:
- James Grieve
- Boskoop
- Cox Orange
- Elstar
To determine the variety, it is usually not enough to look at the tree trunk and the leaves.
Various indications also lead to a solution for apple trees
In order to identify the exact variety of an apple tree, it is necessary to observe the tree's appearance at different times of the year. Some apple trees get yellow leaves when they turn autumn, while other varieties tend to have a reddish autumn color. Another indication is the time of apple blossom, although this can vary depending on the weather during the year. However, in relation to the remaining development of the vegetation in a garden, there are varieties with earlier and later apple blossoms. The flowers themselves don't always look the same. Although apple blossoms are quite similar, they can develop white and reddish colors during the pollination period.
The harvest time as the most important time for determining varieties
The most important recognition criterion for apple trees is the fruit. When the apples are harvested from the tree, they differ not only in color, shape and weight. Some apple varieties have a characteristic pattern on the skin made up of shades of green and red. The criterion for true gourmets is the apple taste. This can be sweet, a little sour, sometimes bitter and also floury. While moldy varieties only show a slight browning of the flesh after biting, this is more pronounced in old varieties.
Tips & Tricks
Pomologists are specialists who deal with the cultivation and identification of apple trees. At the state horticultural offices they can identify the variety of your apple tree based on photos, fruits and leaves.
