The Three Primary Apple Varieties

Delicious is the best-known apple variety of modern times. These apples were first grown in an Iowa orchard in 1870. The original tree is thought to have been a seedling of a bellflower tree that was growing close by. History tells us that the owner, Jessie Hiatt, cut down the tree not once but twice, but it continued to sprout anew, and he finally let it be. Ten years later, when the tree had reached maturity, it produced some of the best apples Mr. Hiatt had ever tasted. Naturally occurring sports produced redder apples, including Red Queen, Royal Red, and Hi Early. Grafting spurs from the Delicious include Oregon Spur, Wellspur, and Starkrimson. Delicious is also a parent of the Melrose.