Meridian apple
Malus domestica
An attractive well-flavoured modern English apple, difficult to detect the Cox parentage though.
Parentage: Falstaff x Cox's Orange Pippin
Origin: England
Introduced: 2000
Season: Oct-Dec
Apple cultivar ID: 104200
Meridian is another great example of modern English apple development from the famous East Malling Research Station. It was developed during the 1970s and released in 2000. It has all the characteristics which we like about modern apples: clean-looking and tasting, easy-going, consistent quality, and gives you an instant hit of juice and flavour.
Meridian is a cross between another modern variety, Falstaff, and Cox's Orange Pippin. Students of apple geneology will note that Falstaff is itself related to Cox so you might expect this to be a very complex and aromatic apple. However Falstaff is in some respects more like its other parent, James Grieve, and Meridian seems to have also inherited these characteristics - notably its juiciness. The juice bursts out of every pore when you bite into it. The flavour is well-balanced but not especially complex. We have been told that the Cox-like characteristics are more apparent if the apple is left on the tree longer. It seems that Meridian is a particularly difficult variety in which to guage ripeness, and at one time was going to be marketed as an early Cox-style variety. We think it is fair to say that Meridian is reminscent of Cox's Orange Pippin but we don't think it has the same depth of flavour. The flavour is more delicate, rather like a tarte aux citron, there is a hint of lemon or melon. This delicacy is no bad thing, and Meridian is one of the best modern UK-developed apple varieties.
Apple Tree Register
Do you have a tree of this variety in your garden or orchard? If so please register the details on our Apple Tree Register here.
Relationships to other apple varieties
Parents and other ancestors of this variety:
Discuss Meridian in our Forums
|
| I bought these apples at Waitrose in
their "regional produce" section. I don't know
whether they have exclusive right or whether
enough of these apples for national
distribution. They are a lovely apple. |
|
| I tasted the apple 2 years ago and have never
found it in the shops. Does someone have
exclusivity and if so who? Why not sell it at
the Research Station? |
See more forum posts about Meridian. Add your comments. |
Where to buy apple trees
The following fruit tree nurseries offer Meridian apple trees for sale:
Where to buy apples
No fruit suppliers listed for this variety.
Apple tree register
The following Meridian trees have been registered - click the name to view more details of each tree:
Do you have a tree of this variety in your garden or orchard? If so please found out more about our Apple Tree Register here and register your apple trees.
Variety request
Is your favourite variety not listed here? We are constantly adding new variety details, so please use our contact form to suggest new varieties.
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