Discovery apple

Malus domestica

A popular English early apple variety, and a good choice for the garden.

Discovery apple photo tape

Parentage: Seedling of Worcester Pearmain
Origin:
Introduced:
Season: Sept
Apple cultivar ID: 110200

Some historical details taken with kind permission from 'The New Book of Apples' by Joan Morgan and Alison Richards , illustrated by Elisabeth Dowle, published by Ebury Press, 2002.


Discovery is one of the most popular English early apples. It is grown commercially on a small scale in the UK, because unlike almost all other early apple varieties it has a reasonable shelf-life - perhaps a week or so. It is quite widely available in the UK in late August and early September.

Discovery is a bit like Beaujolais Noveau - its appeal is entirely down to being fresh and new. Neither does the flavour stand much comparison with later season varieties. However, it is a change from imported apples when it comes into season, and nice when served slightly chilled from the fridge. As you might expect, the flavour is acidic rather than sweet and has little depth to it. Interestingly, just like Beaujolais, Discovery can have a hint of strawberry flavour, although this is very variable. The colours are a fresh yellow-green, usually with dark red patches where the sun has caught it.

Discovery is a very important apple for commercial growers and supermarkets in the UK because it allows them to start marketing the new English apple season, and get consumers primed to buy English apples again.  However there has been increasing debate within the industry about what many insiders see as a poor-quality apple, and concern that consumers may be turned-off English apples at the start of the season if the flavour does not match expectations.  The problem is that the shelf-life is very short, so if the crop is not picked at exactly the right time it will be either under-ripe or past its best - in this respect it is more like a soft fruit than an apple.  As it stands the UK industry has to rely on Discovery at this time of the year but if an alternative early-season variety could be found it is likely that Discovery would rapidly fall out of favour as a commercial apple variety.

Discovery is often thought of as an old variety, but was found in the late 1940s by a fruit farm worker in Langham, Essex, who planted some pips of Worcester Pearmain in his garden.   Discovery is therefore a seedling of Worcester Pearmain, a 19th century early-season apple variety which lends its attractive red finish. Worcester Pearmain is probably the source of the strawberry flavour, which is also found in some of its other offspring including Katy, which is similar in appearance to Discovery but has a bit more depth of flavour and arrives slightly later in the season.  Scrumptious, a modern early variety, is also closely related.

Discovery is a good apple tree for the garden, being fairly easy to grow. Having your own tree also means that you can enjoy the apples at their best, which is often not the case with shop-bought examples.



Relationships to other apple varieties

Offspring of this variety:

Parents and other ancestors of this variety:



Visitor comments

(Use the form at the bottom to add your own comments, or reply to one of the existing comments)

08 Feb 2009 15:55   James Wheatley from Sudbury Suffolk
I have grown this apple on a light soil for twenty years. Reliable cropper, varies with different summers. When it is good it is great but short season, short keeping. Best off the tree on a hot summers day!Reply to this comment
04 Oct 2008 11:32   steve gronkowski from leslie fife
Ive had Discovery apples for many years now and i think they are the juiciest and best tasting apples that I have tasted. I have had the tree for at least 25 years,is this to long ar has it life yet?Reply to this comment
24 Sep 2008 23:31   Nigel from Cambridgeshire
I disagree with the comments regarding lack of flavour. We grow a variety of dessert apples and in our opinion, our Discovery produces apples of excellent, complex flavour when eaten straight form the tree. We consider that the flavour is superior to almost any apple that we have tasted. We have been so impressed, that our Discovery bush has been joined by a young half-standard Discovery tree, for even heavier crops. We live in a warm, low-rainfall area (not far from where Discovery originated), and we suspect that the warm temperatures and lower water content of the Discovery apples we grow here somehow enhances the flavour enormously - a bit like D'Arcy Spice (another local apple variety) which requires a warm and dry summer for it's finest flavour. Shop-bought Discovery apples are completely different to our home-grown one's - the shop one's being larger, juicier, sharper, lacking the red juice and rather flavourless. Discovery's good disease resistance (mildew and scab) also makes it suitable for avoiding the use of many sprays.Reply to this comment
08 Sep 2008 15:35   C&VC from Jersey, Channel Islands, UK
We inherited two of these trees when we bought our present house three years agom they are gorgeous apples and very versatile.Reply to this comment
08 Sep 2008 12:11   Ren from Devon
I must disagree with your tasting notes. It's a perfect little apple with just the right degree of tartness, wonderful aroma, skin which isn't too tough and a nice size. Having access to supermarket apples only, I hunt for it in preference to other available varieties. And another point: not all consumers want large apples and sweet apples - commercial growers take note!Reply to this comment
07 Sep 2008 12:08   Richard Mockett from South Downs, UK
We have an amazingly prolific Discovery tree. The short life of the fruit once picked means that we always have a problem with what to do with so much fruit. This season we have found the answer - it makes the most wondeful PINK apple juice! If you have one of these trees then get hold of a cider press and try it! You will be so delighted with the result - and it is so healthy!!Reply to this comment
02 Sep 2008 12:52   Elise from London
Bought packets from Asda and Morrisons in the last week and the Morrisons ones were a bit stunted, but still good when very fresh. The ones in Asda were far bigger and juicier. I need a sweet, crunchy, slighty acidic apple or I can't eat them at all and this one is great if eaten very quickly. I would disgree that it doesn't have depth - the very fresh ones have all sorts of things going on. They do go past their best very quickly though (still, most supermarket apples these days are terrible from the start).Reply to this comment
20 Jul 2008 14:27   Djajanto from Jakarta Indonesia
Hi....yes I like apple juice..good for us....... Best Regards Reply to this comment
20 Jul 2008 10:12   steve from hockley
Some years back a man called stan jarvis (local historian) used to present history tales on essex radio,and ime sure he said the farmer discovered this thought to be extinct apple plant in rochford essex .I only picked up on it because i used to live there .Can anyone varify this .Reply to this comment
03 Aug 2007 10:29   RW from Essex, UK
I would agree with your tasting notes, but would just like to add that if eaten fresh off the tree the Discovery will be tasted at its best. I used to work on an apple farm in Essex in the 70's,and had my fill of 'fresh' discovery's. The apple farm was in the village of Langham which I think was the place where the apple was Discovered,in a lady's front garden.Reply to this comment

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Identification photos

Apple identification photo - Fruit - Cross-section of Discovery showing typical red stainingApple identification photo - Fruit - Discovery apples (probable identification)

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Cross-section of Discovery showing typical red staining (from Z. Dalby)

Apple identification photo

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Where to buy apple trees

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

Where to buy fruit and related products

The following orchards and suppliers offer Discovery apples for sale:

Apple tree register

The following Discovery trees have been registered - click the name to view more details of each tree:

  • 16 Jun 09  john mullen
    KILMARNOCK, ayrshire, United Kingdom
  • 15 Mar 09  Evelyn Doyle
    Canberra, ACT, Australia
  • 08 Feb 09  Graham Charles Schofield
    NEWMARKET, Sufflok, United Kingdom
  • 11 Jan 09  Jock Nicol
    Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, United Kingdom
  • 27 Oct 08  mel
    luddendenfoot halifax, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
  • 23 Oct 08  Dougas Wilson
    Perth, Perth & Kinross, United Kingdom
  • 24 Sep 08  Jane McLaren
    EDINBURGH, United Kingdom
  • 13 Aug 08  Mary Dibb
    HALE, MILNTHORPE, Cumbria, United Kingdom

Do you have a tree of this variety in your garden or orchard? If so please register here and contribute to our international register of apple trees.

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