Rhode Island Greening apple
One of the oldest American varieties, known since the 1650s, and widely planted in the USA. Its main use is in cooking.
Rhode Island Greening is well-known American heirloom apple variety, dating back to the 17th century. That makes it a very old apple, indeed there are not many European apples that can be traced back as far as Rhode Island Greening. Perhaps surprisingly Rhode Island Greening is not a rare antique variety grown by enthusiasts as a historical curiosity, as its vintage might suggest. Quite the opposite - it appears to have been a commercial variety from the outset and even today is still grown commercially in the north-eastern USA.
The main reason for this enduring success is that Rhode Island Greening is the definitive apple for American apple pie. It is one of those apples (like the English Bramley) that really benefits from cooking to bring out the full richness and sweetness of flavor. Whilst it can be eaten fresh after a period in storage, it is essentially a hard and uncompromising apple, far better in the kitchen.
Whereas the English like their culinary apples to dissolve into a puree or sauce, Rhode Island Greening - like most of the popular American cooking apples - tends to keep its shape when cooked.
Rhode Island Greening is a triploid apple variety - with three sets of chromosomes rather than the usual two sets (diploid). There is also a tetraploid form with four sets of chromosomes. The triploid form is the one most commonly planted and cannot pollinate other apple varieties. It takes longer than most apple varieties to come into bearing, but then goes on to become a relatively large tree with the potential to be very long-lived.
Summary
- Species: Malus domestica
- Origin: Rhode Island, United States
- Introduced: 17th century
- Orange Pippin Cultivar ID: 120100
- We are grateful to Brogdale Farm - home of the UK National Fruit Collection - for providing samples of this variety.
Identification
- Fruit colour: Green
- Flesh colour: Cream
- Fruit size: Large
- Bultitude apple group: 1. Green, smooth, no russet, acidic, culinary
Using
- Good for eating fresh Needs to mature in storage first.
- Good for cooking
- Cooking result: Keeps shape
- Flavour quality: Very good
- Ripening period: Late season
- Use / keeping: 3 months or more
Growing
- Cropping: Good
- Flowering period: Mid season
- Flowering group: 3
- Fertility: Self-sterile
- Triploid: Yes
- Poor pollinator: Yes
- Vigour: Large
- Biennial tendency
- Gardening skill: Average
- Precocity: Slow to start bearing
- Fruit bearing: Spur-bearer
- General disease resistance: Average
Climate
- Suitable for temperate climates
Rhode Island Greening identification photos from official fruit collections
ARS GRIN
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Rhode Island Greening identification photos from website visitors
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 Rhode Island Greening 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
- Florian Deisenhofer in Brush Prairie, WA
- Harry Mccue in LODI, NY/SENECA
- Tim Cheney in WALPOLE, ME/LINCOLN
Switzerland
- Helmut Mueller in NEUKIRCH, Thurgau
Mature heights for Rhode Island Greening trees
This table shows the likely mature height for a Rhode Island Greening 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 | 3.2 ft 1.0 m |
3.9 ft 1.2 m |
4.7 ft 1.5 m |
5.5 ft 1.7 m |
6.3 ft 1.9 m |
| M27 | 3.6 ft 1.1 m |
4.5 ft 1.4 m |
5.4 ft 1.7 m |
6.3 ft 1.9 m |
7.2 ft 2.2 m |
| M9 | 5.4 ft 1.7 m |
6.8 ft 2.1 m |
8.1 ft 2.5 m |
9.5 ft 2.9 m |
10.8 ft 3.3 m |
| Bud.9 | 5.4 ft 1.7 m |
6.8 ft 2.1 m |
8.1 ft 2.5 m |
9.5 ft 2.9 m |
10.8 ft 3.3 m |
| Geneva 16 | 5.4 ft 1.7 m |
6.8 ft 2.1 m |
8.1 ft 2.5 m |
9.5 ft 2.9 m |
10.8 ft 3.3 m |
| Geneva 11 | 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 |
| M26 | 6.8 ft 2.1 m |
8.4 ft 2.6 m |
10.1 ft 3.1 m |
11.8 ft 3.6 m |
13.5 ft 4.1 m |
| Geneva 30 | 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 |
| MM102 | 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 |
| M7 | 8.1 ft 2.5 m |
10.1 ft 3.1 m |
12.2 ft 3.7 m |
14.2 ft 4.3 m |
16.2 ft 5.0 m |
| M116 | 8.1 ft 2.5 m |
10.1 ft 3.1 m |
12.2 ft 3.7 m |
14.2 ft 4.3 m |
16.2 ft 5.0 m |
| MM106 | 9.0 ft 2.8 m |
11.3 ft 3.5 m |
13.5 ft 4.1 m |
15.8 ft 4.8 m |
18.0 ft 5.5 m |
| MM111 | 10.8 ft 3.3 m |
13.5 ft 4.1 m |
16.2 ft 5.0 m |
18.9 ft 5.8 m |
21.6 ft 6.6 m |
| Bud.118 | 11.7 ft 3.6 m |
14.6 ft 4.5 m |
17.6 ft 5.4 m |
20.5 ft 6.3 m |
23.4 ft 7.2 m |
| M25 | 13.5 ft 4.1 m |
16.9 ft 5.2 m |
20.3 ft 6.2 m |
23.6 ft 7.2 m |
27.0 ft 8.3 m |
From an idea by N. Buck - more details.
Where to buy apple trees
The following fruit tree nurseries offer Rhode Island Greening apple trees for sale:
-
Orange Pippin Fruit Trees (USA)
United States Supplier's website >> -
Cummins Nursery
United States More >>
Where to buy apples
The following orchards and suppliers offer Rhode Island Greening apples for sale. map >
United Statesmap >
-
Californiamap >
-
Connecticutmap >
- Palazzi Orchard, East Killingly
-
Mainemap >
- Lamb Abbey Orchards, Union
- Sweetser's Apple Barrel and Orchards, Cumberland Center
-
Massachusettsmap >
- Greenwood Farm, Northfield
- Red Apple Farm, Phillipston
-
Michiganmap >
- Alber's Orchard & Cider Mill, Manchester
- Tompkins' Orchard and Country Store, Vassar
-
New Hampshiremap >
- Alyson's Apple Orchard, Walpole
- Applecrest Farm Orchards, Hampton Falls
- Gould Hill Orchards, Contoocook
-
New Jerseymap >
- Pochuck Valley Farm, Glenwood
-
New Yorkmap >
- Borden's Orchard, Schaghticoke
- Miller's Apples, Dunkirk
- Ontario Orchards Farm, Market & Cider Mill, Sterling
- Soons Orchards Inc., New Hampton
-
Pennsylvaniamap >
- Holy Root Farm, New Tripoli
-
Washingtonmap >
- Hockinson Hill Orchard, Brush Prairie
Rate this variety for flavor