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Airlie Red Flesh apple

Airlie Red Flesh

Airlie Red Flesh is one of the best-flavored and latest-ripening red-fleshed apples, now more properly known as Hidden Rose®.

The variety was first discovered in the 1960s growing as a seedling tree on land owned by Lucky and Audrey Newell near Airlie in Oregon (between Corvallis and Independence).  They sent samples to Oregon State University, but the tree remained unknown to the wider world, and they eventually sold the property and moved away.

Nothing further happened until the 1980s when Louis Kimzey, the retired manager of a neighboring farm business, Thomas Paine Farms, re-discovered the tree.  At the time Kimzey thought the tree was probably Pink Pearl, a well-known red-fleshed apple, but he showed local fruit expert Bill Schultz of Philomath, Oregon, and after a few seasons Bill felt confident this was a new variety.

Bill named the new variety Airlie Red Flesh, but this soon became corrupted to Aerlies Red Flesh.

During the 1990s some local nurseries started to propagate the variety, and for a time it was sometimes known as Schwartz Apple.  Eventually Louis Kimzey asked Thomas Paine farms to help commercialize the new variety, and a new name was adopted - Hidden Rose.  This name was trademarked in 2001 and henceforward the variety was marketed as Hidden Rose®, with an official cultivar name Newell-Kimzey.

For more details of this interesting red-fleshed variety, see Nigel Deacon's website.

Airlie Red Flesh apple identification images

All images copyright Orange Pippin unless otherwise stated.

  • Hidden Rose

USDA identification images for Airlie Red Flesh

The identification paintings in the USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection span the years 1886 to 1942.

    Citation: U.S. Department of Agriculture Pomological Watercolor Collection. Rare and Special Collections, National Agricultural Library, Beltsville, MD 20705.

    Visitor reviews

    • 05 May 2013  VICTORIA, Australia
      I have just come back from Huonville Tasmania and next door to where I stayed was the most magnificent apple tree. It was extremely tall, 20 feet or more and entirely covered in smallish red apples. The best part was biting into one and finding the sweetest red flesh. I have have never heard or seen anything like it. Beautiful!!!
    • 19 Jan 2012  MAINE,, United States
      I have grown Hidden Rose for 9 yrs here in Maine. I pick it in Oct, the tree must be thinned in the spring. It has friuted every year, even after winters of 24 below zero. The fruit is medium size, green skinned, & has a tart flavor. The red color is intense and makes great pies, or sauce.
    • 14 Feb 2011  AZ, United States
      Hidden Rose is listed as self-sterile, but I can't find a pollinator listed that would grow at 4,300 foot elevation in zone 8
    • 30 Oct 2010  Skagit Valley, Washington, United States
      I guess this is a bit late by now but here is my 2 cents worth- In my early years as a farmer i worked at an agricultural research station and there we tested the Hidden Rose for several years just for it's adaptability to our area. Under the rating parameters we were bound to use, which to be honest were a little too much geared towards commercial production, the Hidden Rose was not rated high. After leaving the research program and taking up farming full time I began propagating many unusual, to me anyway, apple varieties into my orchard in an effort to establish a farm based market that would have varieties maturing over a period of 3-4 months. I had already discarded Hidden Rose from my selections just because, at the research station, it never seemed to develop any real flavor. I already had Pink Pearl and Mott Pink and those were proving to be terrific selling varieties. So, getting to the posting, I was doing some trading with a fellow grower, scion wood for scion wood and he sent me some Arlie's Red (as he told me it was spelled). I topped a couple trees to this and it has turned out that this variety works out very well at my location. The late season harvest is just perfect for my needs and the customers eat up anything with a pink flesh. It's fascinating that I have just now found out that this is the same apple as the Hidden Rose! Apparently the microclimate difference between my orchard and the research station orchard is enough to improve the quality of the Aerlies for me.
    • 05 May 2010  United Kingdom
      huonville crab - i have just obtained two trees. the website shows it as a larger-than-usual crab with striking red flesh. will be interesting to see how it turns out. red fleshed apples often suffer from scab and others pests. almata and hidden rose seem to grow better than the others. scarlet surprise (firecracker) also grows well but seems a bit reluctant to fruit.
    • 28 Apr 2010  VICTORIA, Australia
      Never tried it (or even heard of it) but it is reminiscent of the Huonville Crab sold in Aust by Woodbridge Fruit Trees - the only other Red Fleshed apple i have seen (mine should fruit next season so will pay close attention) http://www.woodbridgefruittrees.com.au/html/apples.html
    • 19 Feb 2010  United Kingdom
      I have two trees of 'Hidden Rose', both very small. The apples are generally egg-shaped and very firm. They are green skinned; the skin gradually darkens (though does not go red) until about mid-November, when the fruit are more or less ripe. The apples are edible late Oct but are very sharp and the skin is tough. Picked in November they will sometimes last in good condition until mid-Feb (I used my last one at an apple tasting on 14 Feb). The flavour is fairly aromatic, mildly acidic, and very pleasant. The flesh texture is firm. The skin gets softer on storage. The appearance is stunning - bright red inside. There's a picture at http://web.ukonline.co.uk/suttonelms/hidden-rose-6.jpg; you're welcome to use it on this site if nyou can work out how to do it.
    • 06 Feb 2010  AUSTRALIA, Australia
      Interestingly, this apple appears to be known by three names: 1. Aerlies Red Fleshed 2. Airlie Red Flesh 3. Hidden Rose It is said to originate from Airlie, Oregon, USA. Of course the beautiful thing about this apple is the colour of its flesh. It is also said to have an excellent flavour. Has anyone on this forum ever tasted it?
    • 01 Jan 2010  United Kingdom
      Starter post

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    Spring blossom records for this variety

    2022 season

    • 26th April  2022  - tree owned by Busch83 in Port Republic, United States

    2020 season

    • 10th April  2020  - tree owned by Jerry in Point Reyes Station, United States

    2019 season

    • 18th April  2019  - tree owned by Jerry in Point Reyes Station, United States

    2018 season

    • 21st April  2018  - tree owned by Jerry in Point Reyes Station, United States

    2012 season

    Record your blossom dates in our Fruit Tree Register - more >>.


    Harvest records for this variety

    2020 season

    • 3rd week October  2020  - tree owned by Jerry in Point Reyes Station, United States

    2019 season

    • 1st week October  2019  - tree owned by Jerry in Point Reyes Station, United States

    Origins

    • Species: Malus domestica - Apple
    • Parentage: Unknown
    • Originates from: Airlie, Oregon, United States
    • Introduced: 1960s

    Identification

    • Country of origin: United States
    • Period of origin: 1950 - 1999
    • Fruit colour: Green - light
    • Flower colour: Pink
    • Leaf colour: Green
    • Annual cycle: Deciduous
    • Leaf colour - autumn: Green
    • Flowering duration: Average (2-3 weeks)
    • Flesh colour: Pink / Red
    • Fruit size: Small

    Using

    • Picking season: Very late
    • Keeping (of fruit): 1-2 months
    • Flavour quality: Good
    • Flavour style (apples): Sharper
    • Juice style: Sharper
    • Vitamin C content: Low
    • Cropping: Light
    • Fruit persistence: Normal ripening
    • Food uses: Culinary
    • Food uses: Juice
    • Picking month: October
    • Picking period: late October
    • Picking period: early November
    • Wildlife: RHS Plants for Pollinators

    Growing

    • Gardening skill: Average
    • Flowering group: 2
    • Pollinating others: Poor
    • Ploidy: Diploid
    • Vigour: Slightly small
    • Bearing regularity: Biennial tendency
    • Fruit bearing: Spur-bearer
    • Attractive features: Attractive flowers
    • Attractive features: Attractive fruit
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile

    Climate

    • Climate suitability: Mild damp climates
    • Cold-hardiness: Cold-hardy
    • Summer average maximum temperatures: Cool ( 20-24C / 68-75F)

    Other qualities

    • Disease resistance: Poor
    • Scab (Apple and Pear): Some susceptibility

    Where to buy trees

    The following tree nurseries offer Airlie Red Flesh apple trees for sale:


    Where to buy fresh fruit

    The following orchards grow Airlie Red Flesh:

    United States


    Canada




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