Cortland (apple)
| Cortland | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Species | Malus domestica |
| Hybrid parentage | McIntosh × Ben Davis |
| Cultivar | Cortland |
| Breeder | Spencer Ambrose Beach |
| Origin |  Geneva, New York, 1898 |
Cortland is a cultivar of apple developed at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, New York, United States in 1898.[1] It is a cross of the McIntosh and Ben Davis apples. It was named after Cortland County, near Ithaca, New York, home of Cornell University.[2] It is among the fifteen most popular in the United States[3] and Canada.
Characteristics
[edit]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. The Cortland is capable of high yield in cold climates.[4] In the United States, it is most commonly grown in New York.[2]
The Cortland apple is flattened and irregular apple. Its skin is greenish yellow and deep red. Compared to the McIntosh, the Cortland is a sweet apple. It has white and juicy flesh, with a somewhat coarse texture.[4] It is resistant to browning and is therefore suitable for fruit salads and charcuterie boards.[4]
It was first bred by American horticulturalist S.A Beach.[5]
Patented mutants (sports)
[edit]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.[6] Since then, several sports have been identified and patented:
| Date | "Inventor" | Marketed as | Mutated from | Assignee | Habit | Pattern | Earlier | Color | Plant patent number |
| Jan 19, 1982 | LaMont | Lamont, Starkspur | standard | Stark Bro's Nursery | spur | striped | same | same | US plant patent 4800 |
| Aug 30, 1983 | Nicklin | Redcort | standard | Hilltop Nursery | standard | striped | 2 wk. | 90% red | US plant patent 5095 |
| Oct 7, 1997 | Hartenhof | NS-911 | standard | Adams County Nursery | standard | striped | same | red overall | US plant patent 10049 |
Descendant cultivars
[edit]See also
[edit]Footnotes
[edit]
- ^ National Fruit Collection, retrieved 19 April 2016
- ^ a b Newcomb, Melissa (September 19, 2024). "Apples of Our Eye: A Love Letter to Cornell's Fabulous Fruit". Cornellians. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
- ^ Apple varieties by US Apple Association
- ^ a b c Mikolajski, Andrew (2012). The Illustrated World Encyclopedia of Apples. Lorenz Books. p. 58. ISBN 978-0-7548-2066-6.
- ^ Michael H. Chaplin Department of Horticulture, 106 Horticulture Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 http://hortsci.ashspublications.org/content/28/11/1079.full.pdf
- ^ US plant patent 5095
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