Catshead apple

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Tasting notes
Photos
Rating / Reviews
Tree Register
Where to Buy

Catshead is one of the oldest apples known in England. The name comes from its alleged resemblance to a cat's head - perhaps not immediately obvious, although the shape is unusually conical and can be ribbed.

Like most old English apples Catshead is primarily a culinary apple. The flesh is juicy with a fair amount of acidity, but does not need much additional sugar when cooking. It cooks down to a puree.

Last updated 01 Dec 2012.

An ancient English apple, cooks to sharp firm puree.

Origins

Species: Malus domestica
Parentage: Unknown
Originates from: England, United Kingdom
Introduced: 1600s early
Orange Pippin Cultivar ID: 115300

Identification

Fruit colour: Green
Fruit size: Large
Bultitude apple group: 1. Green, smooth, no russet, acidic, culinary

Using

Good for cooking
Cooking result: Puree
Ripening period: Mid-Late season
Use / keeping: 1-2 months

Growing

Flowering period: Mid season
Flowering group: 3
Fertility: Self-sterile
Triploid: Yes
Poor pollinator: Yes
Vigour: Average growth
Gardening skill: Average
Precocity: Slow to start bearing
Fruit bearing: Spur-bearer
General disease resistance: Good

Climate

Suitable for temperate climates

Disease resistance

Scab - Very resistant

Relationships to other varieties

Offspring of this variety:

Lord Derby (distant descendant)

Catshead identification photos from official fruit collections

UK National Fruit Collection

©Crown Copyright more >

Catshead identification photos from website visitors

Catshead

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Visitor comments

(Use the form at the bottom to add your own comments about this variety)

03 Sep 2011		KevinLANCASHIRE, United Kingdom
	We have a Catshead tree in our garden and it produces a good crop each year. It is susceptible to codling moth (aren't they all) so we don't get a lot of perfect fruits, even after using grease bands over winter. It cooks down to a superb puree, and has a good flavour.
01 Nov 2009		MaryBOSTON, United States
	Because I am a history nut, I got interested in early American foodstuffs and found out a little bit of interesting information: Catshead is the first known variety the early settlers of Virginia planted, probably as early as 1620. It would probably have been brought across the sea carefully planted in a barrel as a sapling, brought as a little tiny "comfort food" from home. "So why is Roxbury Russet listed as the oldest American apple?" -Roxbury Russet is the oldest known NATIVE apple. The problem with the varieties the French, British, and Dutch trees was that they were not accustomed to North America's climate or endemic pests, like fireblight. It probably took a Herculean effort to stop the dying, but by the looks of things they eventually succeeded.

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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 Catshead 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

Tenzicut in Canby, Oregon

United Kingdom

Clifford Cain in BAWTRY, DONCASTER, SOUTH YORKSHIRE
Colin Cramphorn in Mursley, Buckinghamshire
David Smith in Northampton, northamptonshire
Ian Robertson in Ipswich, Suffolk
Keith Williams in LAMBOURN, Berks
Kevin in BURSCOUGH, LANCASHIRE
Louise Perrin in Wellington, Somerset
Melanie in Nr Leicester, Leicestershire
Mrs Stephanie Bond in STOURTON CAUNDLE, DORSET
Victoria in BANBURY, OXON
Victoria Birkett in ABERDEEN, SCOTLAND

New Zealand

Linley Stone in FEILDING, MANAWATU

Latest Spring blossom records for this variety

2012 season

3rd May 2012 - tree owned by Keith in LAMBOURN, United Kingdom
April 2012 - tree owned by Victoria in BANBURY, United Kingdom
January 2012 - tree owned by Linley in FEILDING, New Zealand

2011 season

21st April 2011 - tree owned by Keith in LAMBOURN, United Kingdom

2010 season

31st April 2010 - tree owned by Keith in LAMBOURN, United Kingdom

2009 season

4th May 2009 - tree owned by Keith in LAMBOURN, United Kingdom

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

Latest harvest records for this variety

2012 season

1st week October 2012 - tree owned by Victoria in BANBURY, United Kingdom
3rd week March 2012 - tree owned by Linley in FEILDING, New Zealand

2011 season

2nd week September 2011 - tree owned by Keith in LAMBOURN, United Kingdom

2010 season

3rd week September 2010 - tree owned by Keith in LAMBOURN, United Kingdom

2009 season

1st week October 2009 - tree owned by Keith in LAMBOURN, United Kingdom

Where to buy apple trees

The following fruit tree nurseries offer Catshead apple trees for sale:

Keepers Nursery
United Kingdom More >>

Where to buy apples

No orchards have registered as growing this variety. If you grow this and want to register please go to our Orchard Registration form.