The comprehensive resource for apples and orchards

Liberty apple

Sounds like an heirloom variety, but actually a modern American apple variety, developed specifically for disease resistance.

Liberty photo tape

Liberty was developed at the famous Geneva Research Station in the 1960s.  It is derived from Macoun, and is very much a McIntosh-style apple, with red skin and juicy flesh.  The flavor is well balanced, perhaps sharper than many of the Mac-related varieties but still with the characteristic vinous note.  Its other parent is an un-named research variety derived from Malus floribunda, from which it inherits resistance to scab.

It is grown quite widely in the eastern US, and is being promoted as a good variety for the backyard grower.

Last updated 17 Oct 2011.

Summary

  • Species: Malus domestica
  • Parentage: Macoun
  • Origin: United States
  • Introduced: 1978
  • Developed by: New York State Agricultural Experiment Station
  • Orange Pippin Cultivar ID: 119500
  • 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: Medium

Using

  • Good for eating fresh
  • Flavour quality: Very good
  • Flavour style: Vinous
  • Ripening period: Late season
  • Use / keeping: 2-3 weeks

Growing

  • Cropping: Heavy
  • Flowering period: Mid season
  • Flowering group: 3
  • Fertility: Self-sterile
  • Triploid: No
  • Vigour: Slightly large
  • Gardening skill: Very easy

Climate

  • Suitable for temperate climates
  • Tolerates cold winters

Disease resistance

  • Scab  - Very resistant
  • Cedar apple rust  - Very resistant
  • Mildew  - Some resistance
  • Fireblight  - Some resistance

Relationships to other varieties

Parents and other ancestors of this variety:

Liberty identification photos from official fruit collections


UK National Fruit Collection

©Crown Copyright more >
UK National Fruit Collection

Liberty identification photos from website visitors


Photo submitted by Cris Sherman tape


Photo submitted by Cris Sherman

Liberty apple - New York tape


Liberty apple - New York

Liberty apples tape


Liberty apples


Rate this variety for flavor

Current rating: 4 out of 5. Total votes cast: 2
 

Visitor comments

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

26 Nov 2011 David M. TaylorWI, United States
This is a great Mac-style apple. Use it just like Macs, for fresh eating, sauce, and pies. Also is said to make great cider, although I haven't tried that yet. Seems a little better keeper than other Mac varieties as well -- mine are a little soft but still okay in late November, and I think will last to late December if I don't sauce them all sooner.
05 Oct 2011 JoezwackMN/RAMSEY, United States
This is the second year for my dwarf and it produced 15 apples in 2011. It has a tendency to drop apples. I was unsure as to when to pick but read that Oct. 5th was the time in central NY. I picked mine on Oct. 4th.
19 Jan 2011 John TrivitsDELAWARE/SUSSEX, United States
We have a small orchard (175 trees) about 22 of our trees are Liberty and everyone loves them. The only thing is that they do not all ripen at once. They are very firm and juicy with a tart flavor. We use them in our cider blend, we use them for applesauce and fresh eating.
15 Oct 2010 Dave LiezenWA, United States
I have picked Liberty in a local orchard and kept the fruit three months in common storage. They got a bit soft, but the flavor remained excellent. Fall of '10 I picked a first crop from my little tree out back: superb! The tree puts its strength into fruit and will grow slowly unless you strip it each year for several years. Worth the wait, as this is the best in the McIntosh group for flavor I've found - without ever finding Macoun in prime condition, yet.

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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 Liberty 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

United Kingdom

  • N. Buck in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire

Canada

  • Russ in OTTAWA, ONTARIO

India



Latest Spring blossom records for this variety

2011 season

  • 19th May  2011  - tree owned by Ron in ORION, United States
  • 16th May  2011  - tree owned by Dave in SPOKANE, United States
  • 1st May  2011  - tree owned by Deborah in HOLLY HILL, United States
  • 12th April  2011  - tree owned by Arwadoo in SRINAGAR, India

2010 season

  • 5th May  2010  - tree owned by N. in Cambridge, United Kingdom
  • 4th May  2010  - tree owned by Dave in SPOKANE, United States

2009 season

  • 24th April  2009  - tree owned by N. in Cambridge, United Kingdom

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

Latest harvest records for this variety

2011 season

  • 3rd week August  2011  - tree owned by Deborah in HOLLY HILL, United States

2010 season

  • 3rd week September  2010  - tree owned by Dave in SPOKANE, United States

2009 season

Mature heights for Liberty trees

This table shows the likely mature height for a Liberty 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 2.8 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
M27 3.2 ft
1.0 m		 4.0 ft
1.2 m		 4.8 ft
1.5 m		 5.6 ft
1.7 m		 6.4 ft
2.0 m
M9 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
Bud.9 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
Geneva 16 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
Geneva 11 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
M26 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
Geneva 30 6.4 ft
2.0 m		 8.0 ft
2.5 m		 9.6 ft
2.9 m		 11.2 ft
3.4 m		 12.8 ft
3.9 m
MM102 6.4 ft
2.0 m		 8.0 ft
2.5 m		 9.6 ft
2.9 m		 11.2 ft
3.4 m		 12.8 ft
3.9 m
M7 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
M116 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
MM106 8.0 ft
2.5 m		 10.0 ft
3.1 m		 12.0 ft
3.7 m		 14.0 ft
4.3 m		 16.0 ft
4.9 m
MM111 9.6 ft
2.9 m		 12.0 ft
3.7 m		 14.4 ft
4.4 m		 16.8 ft
5.2 m		 19.2 ft
5.9 m
Bud.118 10.4 ft
3.2 m		 13.0 ft
4.0 m		 15.6 ft
4.8 m		 18.2 ft
5.6 m		 20.8 ft
6.4 m
M25 12.0 ft
3.7 m		 15.0 ft
4.6 m		 18.0 ft
5.5 m		 21.0 ft
6.4 m		 24.0 ft
7.4 m

From an idea by N. Buck - more details.

Where to buy apple trees

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

Where to buy apples

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

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