Virginia Beauty

Virginia Beauty: The original tree grew before 1820 in what is today Carroll County in southwestern Virginia. The name implies an attractive apple, but it is also an excellent eating and dessert apple. In 1914, F. H. LaBaume, a Virginia farmer and fruit grower,  wrote to the United States Department of Agriculture saying of the Va. Beauty; “ It has a distinctive flavor all of its own that clings to the palate and lingers in the memory for a lifetime.”  The tree is known for producing wide branching angles, a trait that aids in producing proper tree structure.  Fruit is medium to large with a glossy red or purplish color. Its flesh is greenish-yellow,  fine grained, tender, juicy, sweet,  and mildly subacid. Ripens in October.

Note: Va. Beauty apples always have a russeted bonnet (right image, top)