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New Fruits
for 2007
Malus
‘Baldwin’
Baldwin Apple
Type: fruit
Height: 12-18’
Hardiness: Zone 4-9
Light requirements: Sun to part shade
Bloom Color: white/pink
Soon after 1740
the Baldwin came up as a chance seedling on the farm of Mr. John Ball,
Wilmington, near Lowell, Mass., and for about 40 years thereafter its
cultivation was confined to that immediate neighborhood. The farm
eventually came into the possession of a Mr. Butters, who gave the name
Woodpecker to the apple because the tree was frequented by woodpeckers. The
apple was long known locally as the Woodpecker or Pecker. It was also
called the Butters. Deacon Samuel Thompson, a surveyor of Woburn, brought
it to the attention of Col. Baldwin of the same town, by whom it was
propagated and more widely introduced in Eastern Massachusetts as early as
1784. From Col. Baldwin's interest in the variety it came to be called the
Baldwin.
 "In
1817 the original tree was still alive but it perished between 1817 and
1832. A monument to the Baldwin apple now marks the location.
Fruit
sometimes large to very large; usually above medium; pretty uniform in
size. Form roundish inclined to conic, varying to roundish oblong;
often faintly ribbed or somewhat irregular; symmetrical; fairly uniform in
shape. Stem usually medium, too long. Cavity acute, medium to
rather deep, rather broad, often somewhat furrowed, sometimes compressed,
sometimes lipped, often russeted, with outspreading rays of russet or deep
green. Calyx small to rather large; closed or somewhat open; lobes
long, acute to acuminate. Basin abrupt, narrow to moderately wide;
often distinctly furrowed; slightly corrugated.
Skin tough, smooth, light yellow or greenish, blushed and mottles
with bright red, indistinctly striped with deep carmine. Flecks of russet,
or even broken russet lines, may occasionally be seen on the base of the
fruit. Dots gray or whitish, depressed, small and numerous toward
the basin, more scattering, conspicuous, large, irregular, or elongated
towards the cavity. Prevailing effect is bright red.
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