davis purple

Davis Purple is a mid-late fall apple introduced to me by Don Essman who found the tree growing in Standish, ME. Although it looked a lot like Black Oxford, Don called it "Davis Purple,” presumably after the owners of the tree. That tree died in 1999, but by then we had the apple grafted at SCF. I was never able to visit the tree so I never got a sense of its age or determined if it was grafted or a seedling.

In 2015 after contacting the folks from the Buxton-Hollis Historical Society, I wondered if Davis Purple might be the long lost Harmon apple that was introduced by J.H. Harmon in Buxton in about 1887. Buxton is not far from Standish where Don Essman found the Davis Purple tree. Buxton was first settled in 1728 as "Narragansett Number 1," and was incorporated as Buxton in 1772. By the late 1800's there were many Harmons in town, including John and Jacob. One of them was most likely the J.H. responsible for the apple. J.H. also introduced another apple, Narragansett (from the town's original name and not to be confused with the very different Narragansett Crabapple.) Recent DNA profile suggests that the apple may not be Harmon though that is yet to be sorted out.

The fruit is roundish-oblate, medium-sized, white-dotted with purple-black skin that resembles Black Oxford. It is a flavorful dessert apple. Currently growing at Super Chilly Farm.