The comprehensive resource for apples and orchards

Fameuse apple

A very hardy apple variety. Also known as the Snow Apple of Quebec, from plantings in early French settlements in Quebec.

Fameuse photo tape

Fameuse is a fairly small bright red/crimson apple with bright white flesh and a distinctive sweet flavor.  It originates from the area of Quebec in Canada, and is able to tolerate extreme winter cold.  It was grown commercially in Quebec on a large scale. It has good disease resistance with the exception of being highly susceptible to scab.

Fameuse is historically a very interesting apple, since it is probably the ancestor of McIntosh, which in turn has led to many other varieties - all characterised by the crimson skin colors and sweet white flesh and unique vinous / sweet flavor.

We are grateful to Canadian apple enthusiast Eric Rivard for finding the following details about Fameuse.

Summary of some information translated from "Le journal d'agriculture illustre" 1889, in QUEBEC Province.  From mid 1700 to 1850 Fameuse was the main grown tree and the fruits were exported to England in large quantities. For some reason, was a massive destruction of the Fameuse apple trees in Quebec Orchards in +/- 1860’s with the introductions of new varieties such as the Wealthy, the Baldwin, and other species from Russia.  A new disease in +/-1885  "Apple scab" or “Fusicladium dentrilicum” caused the end of the last commercial Fameuse orchards.

Tree:

- Dense branches

- Medium vigour

- Not very sensitive to diseases

- Late blossoming

- Harvest early October,

- Consumption: From the Crop till the end of December (1800 century  literature seems to mention February)

 

Main features

- Intense perfume

- Rusticity does not fear frost.

 

Problems:

- Tendency in alternation (biennial bearing)

- Uneven size and colour in the same tree

- Can find all red and red/green streaked apples and this on the same tree.

 

Evaluation:

Good table apple

 

A further extract translated from Le Journal d'Agriculture Illustre", May 1889. (JULES N. PAQUET. 1889)

What about the quality of the Fameuse Apple? I like the Early Astracan, I taste the Duchess beautiful, I enjoy the Soft Peach, I admire the huge Alexander. But I remain without expressions when I eat a Fameuse apple in our happy winter evenings. Is there a most succulent, most tasty; with a richer taste and more flavourful? In one word, is the Fameuse, no species will equal it in quality, argue its glorious title; Admittedly it has certainly not stolen it's picturesque name.
 

Last updated 04 Jul 2011.

Summary

  • Species: Malus domestica
  • Parentage: Unknown, probably 18th century French variety
  • Origin: Quebec, Canada
  • Introduced: Early 18th century
  • Orange Pippin Cultivar ID: 119000
  • We are grateful to Brogdale Farm - home of the UK National Fruit Collection - for providing samples of this variety.

Identification

  • Fruit colour: Red
  • Flesh colour: White
  • Fruit size: Small
  • Bultitude apple group: 6. Red flushed, smooth, sweet

Using

  • Good for eating fresh
  • Good for juice
  • Flavour quality: Good
  • Flavour style: Vinous
  • Ripening period: Late season
  • Use / keeping: 1-2 months

Growing

  • Cropping: Heavy
  • Flowering period: Early-Mid season
  • Flowering group: 2
  • Fertility: Self-sterile
  • Triploid: No
  • Vigour: Average growth
  • Biennial tendency
  • Gardening skill: Average

Climate

  • Tolerates cold winters

Disease resistance

  • Bacterial canker  Pseudomonas syringae  - Very resistant
  • Mildew  - Very resistant
  • Scab  - Very susceptible

Relationships to other varieties

Offspring of this variety:

  • McIntosh - Fameuse is believed to be one of the parents of McIntosh but this has not been confirmed.

Fameuse identification photos from website visitors


Fameuse tape


Fameuse


Rate this variety for flavor

Current rating: out of 5. Total votes cast: 0
 

Visitor comments

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

21 Jan 2012 DaveNORTHERN COLORADO, United States
The great American poet Robert Frost had an orchard on his southern Vermont property. An article is published in the Winter 2012 issue of Vermont's Local Banquet magazine detailing its preservation, including a heritage Snow apple tree that Frost himself may have planted. The wonderful story by Ellen Williams begins: "At the Robert Frost Stone House Museum in South Shaftsbury—his Vermont residence from 1920 to 1928—an ancient and magisterially gnarled Snow apple tree presides over the grounds." The web link to the magazine story below shows an image of this tree. And further it reveals: "...Today, 90-odd years after the soil was first tamped down around its roots, the heritage tree, as the Snow apple is known, remains vigorous enough to produce a bountiful harvest of distinctively striped and tasty white-fleshed fruit every year around Labor Day." There is no mention of the name Fameuse but all other details corroborate with the posts here on orangepippin that it is synonymous with Snow. http://www.localbanquet.com/issues/years/2012/Winter12/frost_w12.html

17 Oct 2011 Elaine FergusonOR, United States
My mother, age 95, was raised on a dairy farm/apple orchard in Niagara County, NY. She has always said that her favorite apple was the Snow Apple. I found an orchard here in Oregon that has these apples and am going to take her there today. Am excited about getting to taste this treat!
05 Sep 2010 Eric RivardQUEBEC, Canada
(JULES N. PAQUET. 1889) What about the quality of the famous Apple? I like the Early Astracan, I taste the Duchess beautiful, I enjoy the Soft Peach, I admire the huge Alexander. But I remain without expressions when I eat a Fameuse apple in our happy winter evenings. Is there a most succulent, most tasty; with a richer taste and more flavourful? In one word, is the famous, no species will equal it in quality, argue its glorious title; Admittedly it has certainly not stolen it's picturesque name,

05 Sep 2010 Eric RivardQUEBEC, Canada
I am French Canadian and cant agree more with what these poeple said, how ever delisious any othere apple can be it just does'nt bett the Fameuse, "I was a pretty young child and I haven't been able to forget about them since." ,"The flesh is very very white, yet with red stains in it. A really pleasant little treat" "close to eighty years old and has a graft on it that gives delicious snow apples." They are now unavailable here also in garden stores (after few attempts, they seem to be hard to graff ) Eric R
07 Aug 2010 MaryMASSACHUSETTS, United States
Occasionally we get this kind here in New England: some years ago French Canadians moved south into Maine and Vermont to work in factories and they brought this with them. Very hardy tree. Very hardy indeed: last winter around Christmas the whole of New England got a good dumping of snow....and by all accounts, the Fameuse trees are still juuuust fine!!
22 Jun 2010 TerrenceBRITISH COLUMBIA, Canada
I have an old apple tree outside my house that is close to eighty years old and has a graft on it that gives delicious snow apples. I have been thinking it is probably about time I started a new tree but am finding it difficult to find any snow apples anywhere and I have had no luck propagating from the tree.
06 Nov 2009 LisaTOLEDO, OH, United States
I last ate a snow apple when I was a pretty young child and I haven't been able to forget about them since. I also haven't been able to find them since. Please, please, please, does anyone know any orchards in the NW Ohio SE MI area that grows them?
26 Oct 2009 JeanneMI, United States
This is an apple fond in my memories. It has a texture like a MacIntosh and a flavor that is similar, yet a bit spicier. It has a wonderful scent and the apples are rather on the small side. The flesh is very very white, yet with red stains in it. A really pleasant little treat.

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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 Fameuse 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

Canada



Latest Spring blossom records for this variety

2011 season

  • May  2011  - tree owned by v in LUCKNOW, Canada

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

Latest harvest records for this variety

2011 season

  • 4th week September  2011  - tree owned by v in LUCKNOW, Canada

Mature heights for Fameuse trees

This table shows the likely mature height for a Fameuse 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 2.5 ft
0.8 m		 3.1 ft
0.9 m		 3.7 ft
1.1 m		 4.3 ft
1.3 m		 4.9 ft
1.5 m
M27 2.8 ft
0.9 m		 3.5 ft
1.1 m		 4.2 ft
1.3 m		 4.9 ft
1.5 m		 5.6 ft
1.7 m
M9 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
Bud.9 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
Geneva 16 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
Geneva 11 4.9 ft
1.5 m		 6.1 ft
1.9 m		 7.4 ft
2.3 m		 8.6 ft
2.6 m		 9.8 ft
3.0 m
M26 5.3 ft
1.6 m		 6.6 ft
2.0 m		 7.9 ft
2.4 m		 9.2 ft
2.8 m		 10.5 ft
3.2 m
Geneva 30 5.6 ft
1.7 m		 7.0 ft
2.1 m		 8.4 ft
2.6 m		 9.8 ft
3.0 m		 11.2 ft
3.4 m
MM102 5.6 ft
1.7 m		 7.0 ft
2.1 m		 8.4 ft
2.6 m		 9.8 ft
3.0 m		 11.2 ft
3.4 m
M7 6.3 ft
1.9 m		 7.9 ft
2.4 m		 9.5 ft
2.9 m		 11.0 ft
3.4 m		 12.6 ft
3.9 m
M116 6.3 ft
1.9 m		 7.9 ft
2.4 m		 9.5 ft
2.9 m		 11.0 ft
3.4 m		 12.6 ft
3.9 m
MM106 7.0 ft
2.1 m		 8.8 ft
2.7 m		 10.5 ft
3.2 m		 12.3 ft
3.8 m		 14.0 ft
4.3 m
MM111 8.4 ft
2.6 m		 10.5 ft
3.2 m		 12.6 ft
3.9 m		 14.7 ft
4.5 m		 16.8 ft
5.2 m
Bud.118 9.1 ft
2.8 m		 11.4 ft
3.5 m		 13.7 ft
4.2 m		 15.9 ft
4.9 m		 18.2 ft
5.6 m
M25 10.5 ft
3.2 m		 13.1 ft
4.0 m		 15.8 ft
4.8 m		 18.4 ft
5.6 m		 21.0 ft
6.4 m

From an idea by N. Buck - more details.

Where to buy apple trees

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

  • Cummins Nursery
    United States  More >>

Where to buy apples

The following orchards and suppliers offer Fameuse apples for sale. map >

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