Spartan (apple)
| Spartan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Species | Malus pumila |
| Hybrid parentage | McIntosh × Unknown |
| Cultivar | Spartan |
| Origin |  Summerland, British Columbia, 1936 |
The Spartan is a cultivated variety or cultivar of apple developed by R. C Palmer and introduced in 1936 from the Federal Agriculture Research Station in Summerland, British Columbia, now known as the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre - Summerland.[1] The Spartan is notable for being the first new breed of apple produced from a formal scientific breeding program.[2] The apple was initially believed to be a cross between two North American cultivars, the McIntosh and the Newtown Pippin, but subsequent genetic analysis revealed that the Newtown Pippin was not one of the parents. The identity of this parent remains a mystery. The Spartan is considered a good all-purpose apple.[3] The apple is of medium size and has a bright-red blush, but can have background patches of greens and yellows.[4]
During the 2020s, almost all of Canada's Spartan apples are grown in British Columbia.[5]: 38 In Quebec, it remains one of the most grown varieties.[6]
Disease susceptibility
[edit]- Scab: high[7]
- Powdery mildew: high
- Cedar apple rust: high
- Fire blight: medium
Sports and descendants
[edit]- Hunter Spartan, a tetraploid form of Spartan
Gallery
[edit]
Apple from Chernihiv, Ukraine, 2014
Greener apples grew in the shadows
Hunter spartan
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See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ↑ Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. "Summerland - History The 20s and 30s". Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved March 13, 2007.
- ↑ "Spartan apple". Orange Pippin.com. Archived from the original on May 1, 2007. Retrieved June 15, 2011.
- ↑ "Spartan Apples". Science Canada. Archived from the original on October 1, 2015. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
- ↑ "Apple Trees". Galetta Nurseries. Archived from the original on February 11, 2007. Retrieved March 14, 2007.
- ↑ "U.S. Apple Industry Outlook 2025" (PDF). U.S. Apple Association. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
- ↑ "Where do new apple varieties come from?". Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University. October 11, 2023. Retrieved September 23, 2026.
- ↑ Stephen Miller of the USDA Fruit Research Lab in Kearneysville, West Virginia.
External links
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