Higher classification Apple | Rank Cultivar | |
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Hybrid parentage 'McIntosh' × 'Ben Davis' Origin Geneva, New York, USA, 1898 Scientific name Malus domestica 'Cortland' Similar Apple, Empire Apples, Macoun apple, Honeycrisp, Paula Red | ||
'Cortland' is a cultivar of apple, that was raised at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, New York, USA in 1898. The apple was named after nearby Cortland County, New York. It is among the fifteen most popular in the United States.
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Breeding
After the many attributes of McIntosh were discovered, plant breeders began crossing it with other varieties to enhance its traits. One of the earliest was the 'Cortland'. Its flavor is sweet compared to McIntosh, and it has a flush of crimson against a pale yellow background sprinkled with short, dark red stripes and gray-green dots.
Cortland has very white flesh and is an excellent dessert apple.
Patented mutants (sports)
The original Cortland variety, introduced in 1915 by the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, produced apples which were 20—30% red, and was not patented. Since then, several sports have been identified and patented:
Descendant cultivars
