Allen's Everlasting apple

This is an Irish variety, known since 1864.

The apples are small to medium and flattened-conical. The stalk is of medium length, thick, in a shallow cavity, and strongly attached even when ripe. The skin colour is highly variable depending on the growing conditions. On some sites it is a green russet resembling Ashmead's Kernel; on others it is red and smooth skinned with patches of russet; sometimes there are patches of different colours. Deacon's nursery provides the best description: "yellow flushed red, with some russet".

The taste and shape are distinctive, however, and the variety is usually easier to identify than describe, unless (as occasionally happens) the russet is entirely absent.

The flesh is off-white, rather dry and concentrated in flavour, quite sharp until fully ripe, with hints of citrus; the 'nutty' flavour associated with some russets is absent. The eye is generally closed and the cavity is shallow. There are apples in most years on full-size trees, though there is a tendency to be biennial if grown as a miniature (on M27, M26 or MM106).

The apple keeps in good condition for three to four months. The acidity declines but the flavour remains strong.

The tree is slow-growing with an upright habit, though less so than Annie Elizabeth. It is partial tip-bearing, and miniature trees have a tendency to become overloaded; thinning of both fruit and fruiting spurs is necessary. Miniaturisation also increases the susceptibility to scab on fruit and foliage. On full-size trees this is not a problem.

The blossom is white with a very faint trace of pink, quickly fading to white; the flowers appear a day or two earlier than Bramley.