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Decio
type: Dessert
synonyms: Dezi
summary: Compared to many of the eating apples available today, the Dezio is somewhat bland, but it provides a tangible link to the times of Roman legions and is possibly the oldest apple cultivar documented to date.
identification: Small in size, round tending to round-conic. Pale yellow base colour with flush of brownish pink on sun-exposed face. In warmer climates, the skin ripens to a cream colour with red blushes. The stem is somewhat slender and extends barely to the shoulder; set in a funnel shaped, narrow cavity. The calyx is somewhat large, partly open and set in a shallow basin, surrounded by a lightly crowned shoulder.
characteristics: The flesh is cream-coloured and fine-grained. Fruity and sweet with a bit of tang.
origins: Generally considered to have originated and grown in the Emilia Romagna, Veneto and Lazio regions of Italy in the days of the Roman Empire, though there is little history to substantiate the claim. There is, however, mention of this variety in Medieval Italy. In the 1500s, Italian historian Francesco Bo stated the General Ezio brought these apples with him during his battles in the area of Padua against Attila the Hun. The Decio was apparently also regularly served at banquets in the late 1520s by the Duke of Ferrera. It was a popular apple variety in Italy during the 1930s. Either way, it is likely oldest apple on record at this stage. Its derivation is unknown.
cultivation: Weak vigour. Tree is a small, upright spur bearer.
cold storage: Keeps up to three months in storage.
harvest: Fruit ripens late in the fifth period.
notes: The sweetness and fruity flavours of this apple develop best in rather temperate climates. Tends to be acidic and bland when grown in cooler climates.
pollination group: E
pollination peak: 16
ploidism: Diploid. Self sterile.
cold storage weeks: 12
harvest period: 5
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