Braddick's Nonpareil apple
A little-known but high quality English dessert apple. Braddick's Nonpareil has a strong sharp flavour but with some underlying sweetness too - imagine sour honey (in a nice way) and you have it.
Braddick's Nonpareil is a relatively unknown but remarkably good English dessert apple. Rated by Hogg in his late 19th century 'The Fruit Manual' as "excellent", it is nevertheless quite a shock to anyone brought up on modern sweet dessert apples. Braddick's Nonpareil hits you with an intense dense sharpness which can be eye-watering when just picked, although it sweetens in storage (and this is a good variety to store for the winter).
Crucially however, this sharpness is not simply acidic sourness (as you find in a cooking apple or a Granny Smith), but has a real depth and richness to it which is extremely satisfying. After a few mouthfuls, you start to realise that actually there is a background of sweetness in Braddick's Nonpareil that fills out the sharp tanginess into something that few other sharp-flavoured apples can attain.
The variety was raised by Mr John Braddick in England at the very start of the 19th century, and nothing is known of its origins. Hogg recommends it for espalier training and reports that it crops reliably.
Summary
- Species: Malus domestica
- Parentage: Unknown
- Origin: England, United Kingdom
- Introduced: 1818
- Orange Pippin Cultivar ID: 100700
Growing
- Flowering period: Mid-Late season
- Flowering group: 4
- Fertility: Self-sterile
- Triploid: No
- Vigour: Slightly small
See also:
- Claygate Pearmain - Braddick's Nonpareil and Claygate Pearmain were both discovered by John Braddick.
Braddick's Nonpareil identification photos from official fruit collections
Braddick's Nonpareil identification photos from website visitors
Fruit tree register
Do you have a tree of this variety in your garden or orchard? If so please register the details here and contribute to our international register of fruit trees.
The following Braddick's Nonpareil trees have been registered - click the name to view more details of each tree.
You can also view these trees on a map.
United States
- Jeanette Schuler in SAN LEANDRO, CA
United Kingdom
- Graham Charles Schofield in NEWMARKET, Sufflok
Switzerland
- Helmut Mueller in NEUKIRCH, Thurgau
Mature heights for Braddick's Nonpareil trees
This table shows the likely mature height for a Braddick's Nonpareil tree taking into account the vigor of the variety, the rootstock, and soil conditions.
| Rootstock | Soil quality | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poor | Below average | Average | Above average | Very good | |
| P22 | 2.1 ft 0.6 m |
2.6 ft 0.8 m |
3.2 ft 1.0 m |
3.7 ft 1.1 m |
4.2 ft 1.3 m |
| M27 | 2.4 ft 0.7 m |
3.0 ft 0.9 m |
3.6 ft 1.1 m |
4.2 ft 1.3 m |
4.8 ft 1.5 m |
| M9 | 3.6 ft 1.1 m |
4.5 ft 1.4 m |
5.4 ft 1.7 m |
6.3 ft 1.9 m |
7.2 ft 2.2 m |
| Bud.9 | 3.6 ft 1.1 m |
4.5 ft 1.4 m |
5.4 ft 1.7 m |
6.3 ft 1.9 m |
7.2 ft 2.2 m |
| Geneva 16 | 3.6 ft 1.1 m |
4.5 ft 1.4 m |
5.4 ft 1.7 m |
6.3 ft 1.9 m |
7.2 ft 2.2 m |
| Geneva 11 | 4.2 ft 1.3 m |
5.3 ft 1.6 m |
6.3 ft 1.9 m |
7.4 ft 2.3 m |
8.4 ft 2.6 m |
| M26 | 4.5 ft 1.4 m |
5.6 ft 1.7 m |
6.8 ft 2.1 m |
7.9 ft 2.4 m |
9.0 ft 2.8 m |
| Geneva 30 | 4.8 ft 1.5 m |
6.0 ft 1.8 m |
7.2 ft 2.2 m |
8.4 ft 2.6 m |
9.6 ft 2.9 m |
| MM102 | 4.8 ft 1.5 m |
6.0 ft 1.8 m |
7.2 ft 2.2 m |
8.4 ft 2.6 m |
9.6 ft 2.9 m |
| M7 | 5.4 ft 1.7 m |
6.8 ft 2.1 m |
8.1 ft 2.5 m |
9.5 ft 2.9 m |
10.8 ft 3.3 m |
| M116 | 5.4 ft 1.7 m |
6.8 ft 2.1 m |
8.1 ft 2.5 m |
9.5 ft 2.9 m |
10.8 ft 3.3 m |
| MM106 | 6.0 ft 1.8 m |
7.5 ft 2.3 m |
9.0 ft 2.8 m |
10.5 ft 3.2 m |
12.0 ft 3.7 m |
| MM111 | 7.2 ft 2.2 m |
9.0 ft 2.8 m |
10.8 ft 3.3 m |
12.6 ft 3.9 m |
14.4 ft 4.4 m |
| Bud.118 | 7.8 ft 2.4 m |
9.8 ft 3.0 m |
11.7 ft 3.6 m |
13.7 ft 4.2 m |
15.6 ft 4.8 m |
| M25 | 9.0 ft 2.8 m |
11.3 ft 3.5 m |
13.5 ft 4.1 m |
15.8 ft 4.8 m |
18.0 ft 5.5 m |
From an idea by N. Buck - more details.
Where to buy apples
The following orchards and suppliers offer Braddick's Nonpareil apples for sale. map >
United Statesmap >
-
Mainemap >
- Lamb Abbey Orchards, Union
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