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All about apples, pears, plums, and cherries - and orchards where they are grown

Summer Rambo apple

Attractive, large, brightly striped, red fruit. Breaking, crisp, exceptionally juicy flesh. Subacid, aromatic flavor.

Also known as

  • Rambour Franc

USDA identification images for Summer Rambo

The identification paintings in the USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection span the years 1886 to 1942.

    Citation: U.S. Department of Agriculture Pomological Watercolor Collection. Rare and Special Collections, National Agricultural Library, Beltsville, MD 20705.

    Visitor reviews

    • 12 Jan 2021  ID, United States
      I purchased a Rambo apple tree that was sold as a graft from the last know living apple tree planted by Johnny Appleseed (historical society sale)? Tree is very productive. Apples are large and I think tasty right off the tree. They make great apple butter and sauce. Hardy here in N. Idaho.
    • 18 Sep 2018  WA, United States
      The graft in'12 took and it bore heavily last year. Amazing sauce and fine fresh. Needs a dose of calcium in my poor soil.
    • 29 Jan 2017  OHIO, United States
      Summer Rambo is my favorite taste in applesauce! I gave my mom one tree that bears heavily. We devote a couple weeks in summer to making enough applesauce to last the winter. It is a true summer apple, meaning it is a softer apple off the tree and turns mushy quickly. Despite some neglect in the last few years (little pruning, no spraying, fireblight), we are still getting usable apples.
    • 26 Sep 2015  MA, United States
      I too have one of Miller's Nursery 5 way trees. The Summer Rambo is great! By far my favorite on the tree. Sweet and crisp and early. I am sad when it's gone but then the Summer Rambo is a great second choice. It's fun to have one tree give me so much!!!!
    • 24 Aug 2014  MD, United States
      Purchased from Heyser Farms, Colesville, Md. on July 25th. Tart with little apple flavor, these did not make a good pie. While my standard 50-55 minutes wasn't long enough for this cultivar - ten minutes more would have improved it - there's only so much one can do with a so-so apple.
    • 08 Aug 2013  D.C., United States
      Elijah Washington, DC evanscraftcider@gmail.com "I stopped by a local orchard yesterday in an effort to secure some bins of "juice culls" this fall. They had two apples already out: Lodi and Summer Rambo. I picked up a peck of each to try. I was extremely impressed with Summer Rambo. A very well balanced apple that is tart and sweet, with a notable level of tannin. The ones I picked up were also different in appearance than is what is noted here, mine are almost completely green with only a hint of red throughout. Source: Marker-Miller Orchards http://www.orangepippin.com/orchards/united-states/virginia/marker-miller-orchards-farm-market
    • 30 Apr 2013  MT, United States
      My great-grandmother (born 1890 in center Pa.) used to say this was the very best variety for applesauce; I planted a semi-dwarf S.R. about 10 years ago and it has borne good crops for the last 7-8 years. Large, attractive fruit also good for fresh eating
    • 14 Feb 2013  TX, United States
      I purchased mine from Boyers (http://www.boyernurseries.com/bareroot.htm) this autumn. Looking forward when I can pick my own.
    • 29 Aug 2012  NEBRASKA, United States
      I have this veriety, Summer Rambo, in a 4way antique apple tree from Miller's Nursery in New York. This is the first year it has born fruit. It made excellent apple sauce.
    • 05 Mar 2012  WASHINGTON, United States
      Haven't tried this yet, but have scion wood and root stock for bench graft now. If you want to buy this cv. on dwarfing root stock, check the Where To Buy block. There is quite a list. A quick Google search brought up Boyer's and ACNursery, both offering Summer Rambo on M9 or similar.
    • 30 Jan 2012  MD, United States
      i know the maker of the above comment is likely long since gone, but if somebody could point me in the direction of a dwarf summer rambo tree, I'd be very, very grateful. I loooove summer rambos, they make the best applesauce the world has ever tasted :)
    • 30 Jun 2011  KY, United States
      My grandfather's family owned an orchard in Pike County Ky. with about 30 apple trees. The Summer Rambo was, by far, my favorite and the favorite of most of my family. The apples were huge and delicious. I now have a dwarf tree in my back yard, but it was only planted last year, so I haven't had any fruit from it. I had a semi-dwarf in my yard that bared every year, but the apples weren't as big as the others from Pike Co. Ky were. However, the tree uprooted and I had to have the tree removed.

    Tree register

    United States

    Spring blossom records for this variety

    2016 season

    2015 season

    • 29th April  2015  - tree owned by Michael in Glen Rock, United States
    • 22nd April  2015  - tree owned by Tomec88@Yahoo.Com in Stanhope, United States

    2014 season

    • 13th May  2014  - tree owned by Tomec88@Yahoo.Com in Stanhope, United States
    • 2nd May  2014  - tree owned by Mike in , United States

    2013 season

    • 17th May  2013  - tree owned by Tomec88@Yahoo.Com in Stanhope, United States
    • 26th April  2013  - tree owned by Mike in , United States

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


    Harvest records for this variety

    2015 season

    2013 season

    • 4th week August  2013  - tree owned by Gary in Chesaning, United States
    • 3rd week August  2013  - tree owned by Tomec88@Yahoo.Com in Stanhope, United States

    Origins

    • Species: Malus domestica - Apple
    • Originates from: France
    • Introduced: 16th century

    Identification

    • Country of origin: France
    • Period of origin: 1550 - 1599
    • Fruit colour: Green / Yellow
    • Fruit colour: Orange / Red
    • Annual cycle: Deciduous
    • Fruit size: Large
    • Fruit shape: Flat-round

    Using

    • Picking season: Early
    • Keeping (of fruit): 1 week
    • Flavour quality: Good
    • Flavour style (apples): Sweet/Sharp
    • Flavour style (apples): Sharper
    • Flavour style (apples): Aromatic
    • Juice style: Sharper
    • Cropping: Heavy
    • Food uses: Eating fresh
    • Food uses: Culinary
    • Food uses: Juice
    • Food uses: Drying
    • Picking month: August
    • Picking period: late August
    • Picking period: early September
    • Flavour style (apples): Honeyed

    Growing

    • Pollinating others: Average
    • Ploidy: Triploid
    • Vigour: Vigorous
    • Precocity: Precocious
    • Bearing regularity: Biennial tendency
    • Fruit bearing: Partial tip-bearer

    Climate

    • Cold hardiness (USDA): Zone 5 (-29C)
    • Cold-hardiness: Cold-hardy
    • Summer average maximum temperatures: Warm (25-30C / 76-85F)

    Other qualities

    • Disease resistance: Average
    • Fire blight: Some resistance
    • Scab (Apple and Pear): Some susceptibility

    Where to buy fresh fruit

    The following orchards grow Summer Rambo:

    United States




    References


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