Higher classification Apple | Rank Variety | |
Cultivar 'Rhode Island Greening' Origin about 1650, Newport, Rhode Island, USA Similar Baldwin, Roxbury Russet, Karmijn de Sonnaville, Suntan, Ellison's Orange | ||
The 'Rhode Island Greening' is an old, historic American apple variety and the official fruit of the state of Rhode Island.
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History
The 'Rhode Island Greening' allegedly originated around 1650 near Green's End in Newport, Rhode Island (in modern-day Middletown) . The first Greenings were allegedly grown by a Mr. Green who operated a tavern and developed apple trees from seed. Green gave many scions from the tree to visitors for grafting elsewhere, and the original tree died. The apples became known as 'Green's Inn' apples from Rhode Island. One of the oldest surviving trees was located on Mt. Hygeia farm in Foster, Rhode Island, at the turn of the 20th century. The 'Rhode Island Greening' was one of the most popular apples grown in New York in the 19th century.
Characteristics
It is tender, crisp, juicy, and quite tart, and similar to the 'Granny Smith'. The fruit is large, uniformly round in shape, and flattened on the ends, with a dark, waxy, green skin that turns a greenish-yellow when fully ripe. It ripens from September to October, keeping well into February or longer.
