Worcester Pearmain apple
Malus domestica
A popular early-season English apple, sometimes with a strawberry flavour. Often used in breeding programmes to develop other early varieties.
Worcester Pearmain is an early season English apple, originating from Worcester in the 1870s.
Worcester Pearmain has been a relatively popular apple from the start, and is still grown commercially on a small scale in England. The apples come into season a few weeks after Discovery, and it is relatively easy to find for a short period in mid-September in supermarkets and farmers markets.
Worcester Pearmain's main claim to fame is the strawberry flavour, although the intensity of this is quite variable. As with any early variety, the flavour is very dependent on the weather during the short period that the apples ripen. The parentage of Worcester Pearmain is unknown but a likely candidate is Devonshire Quarrenden - which also has the strawberry flavour.
Although it cannot be regarded as being in the first rank of apple varieties, Worcester Pearmain has been used as the basis for a surprisingly large number of breeding programmes. The early ripening period and the strawberry flavour are the main reasons for this, with growers hoping to introduce this dimension into new varieties. The intense red/crimson flush is another commercially valuable characteristic. It has to be said that many of these varieties are a considerable improvement over Worcester Pearmain. Discovery is perhaps the most well-known, but Elton Beauty, Katy, Jester, and Lord Lambourne all inherit the strawberry flavour to some extent.
Worcester Pearmain makes a good apple tree for the garden, and the flavour really benefits if the apples are left on the tree as long as possible. However, some of its offspring are also good varieties for the garden - Katy for example.
Summary
- Parentage: Possibly a seedling of Devonshire Quarrenden
- Origin: England, United Kingdom
- Introduced: 1870s
- Orange Pippin Cultivar ID: 114300
- 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.
Identification
- Bultitude apple group: 6. Red flushed, smooth, sweet
Using
- Good for eating fresh
- Flavour quality: Good
- Flavour style: Sweeter
- Ripening period: Early-Mid season
- Use / keeping: Does not keep
Growing
- Cropping: Heavy
- Flowering group: 3
- Fertility: Partially self-fertile
- Triploid: No
- Vigour: Slightly small
- Gardening skill: Easy
- Fruit bearing: Tip-bearer
- Attractive blossom
- General disease resistance: Average
Climate
- Suitable for temperate climates
- Suitable for N. England?: Yes
Other qualities
- RHS Award of Garden Merit 1993
Mature tree heights for this variety (approximate)
| Rootstock | Soil quality | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poor | Below average | Average | Above average | Very good | |
| P22 | 1.8 ft 0.6 m |
2.3 ft 0.7 m |
2.7 ft 0.8 m |
3.2 ft 1.0 m |
3.6 ft 1.1 m |
| M27 | 2.4 ft 0.7 m |
3.0 ft 0.9 m |
3.6 ft 1.1 m |
4.2 ft 1.3 m |
4.8 ft 1.5 m |
| M9 | 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 |
| Bud.9 | 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 |
| Geneva 16 | 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 |
| Geneva 11 | 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 |
| M26 | 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 30 | 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 |
| MM102 | 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 |
| M7 | 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 |
| M116 | 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 |
| MM106 | 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 |
| MM111 | 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 |
| Bud.118 | 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 |
| M25 | 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 |
Relationships to other varieties
Offspring of this variety:
- Akane
- Discovery
- Elton Beauty
- Gavin (distant descendant)
- Jester
- Katy
- Lord Lambourne
- Merton Worcester
- Winston