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Ben Davis
type: Cider, Dessert, Sauce
synonyms: Baltimore Pippin, Baltimore Red, Baltimore Red Streak, Carolina Red Cheek, Carolina Red Streak, Davis, Davies, Funkhouser, Hutchinson s Pippin, Joe Allen, Illinois Red, Kentucky Pippin, Kentucky Red Streak, Mortgage Lifter, New York Pippin (there is also a cultivar that goes by this name, see NY 73334-35 ), Red Pippin (See also Red Pippin ), Robinson's Streak, Tenant Red, Victoria Pippin, Victoria Red and Virginia Pippin.
summary: The Ben Davis originated as a chance seedling that was found growing along the roads of the southeastern United States during the late 1700s and the early 1800s. It became a widespread apple favoured for eating out of hand and was also used for making cider. Though its used has declined, it is still widely available.
identification: Medium to large apple, round conic, often unsymmetrical. Tough, thick, smooth, waxy skin. The base colour is bright yellow with bright red flushes and stripes. Small but distinct brownish dots. The stem is medium long, moderately slender and is set in a deep cavity which is sometimes russetted.
characteristics: The flesh is white with some tinges of yellow. Coarse-grained and firm. Juicy, sweet and mildly acidic but often dry and woolly. Resists bruising.
uses: Passable as a fresh eating apple but makes a good apple sauce. Often used for making dried apple rings.
origins: Found as a wild seedling by Bill Davis in 1799 in Virginia or North Carolina and transplanted to Butler County, Kentucky (U.S.A.). However, it was not until sometime in the 1840s when Captain Ben Davis took cuttings from the tree and used them to establish an orchard. From there, its popularity grew and, within a quarter century, the Ben Davis became an important variety through much of the United States because it stores well and resists bruising. The parentage is likely in a long forgotten apple core and virtually impossible to determine by conventional means. It may, nevertheless, be the same apple as Captain Davis .
cultivation: Vigorous and upright tree with a dome-shaped, spreading canopy. Spur bearer. It starts to produce fruit while still young and does so annually with heavy crops. Needs a long growing season to fully ripen. Not cold hardy and grows best in areas of long, mild climates where it has ample opportunity to ripen fully. It does require considerable pruning.
cold storage: Keeps up to five months in cold storage. Flavours improve in with time.
vulnerabilities: Susceptible to scab and canker. Moderately susceptible to fire blight. Highly resistant to mildew. Very resistant to woolly aphid.
harvest: Ready for harvest in the first half of the fifth period. Fruit hangs well after ripening.
notes: The Ben Davis was, at one time, dubbed the “mortgage lifter” because its abundant fruit was in demand at markets through the late 1800s and into the early 1900s. It was and still is, to some extent, frequently planted as an excellent source of pollen for Winesap apples.
pollination group: D
pollination peak: 15
ploidism: Diploid. Self sterile.
cold storage weeks: 20
harvest period: 5
hardiness: 5
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