Fox Hill

Fox Hill is a wild seedling that I discovered on a hillside along the Nutting Road in Perham (Aroostook County) Maine in 1998. I named it for the Fox family who were living there on the site at the time. The Fox place was the homestead where one of my apple mentors, Garfield King, grew up. Garfield eventually moved to Fort Kent where he taught school and was an administrator for many years. In his spare time he combed the old farms of the County, discovering old apples and other fruits, sometimes taking me along with him. Our fruit-exploring adventures together are described in my book, Apples and the Art of Detection.

The Fox Hill apple is considered a Duchess-type. It might well be a seedling of Duchess, the quintessential Arootstook apple. Fox Hill is is roundish-oblate, about the size of Duchess or McIntosh, and colored mostly yellow with a few thin, red stripes.

Fox Hill is aromatic and juicy. When you bite in, the flavors envelop you. They are fruity and tropical. They will transport you to a Caribbean Island, far from the County. It is hard to believe that so much sensation can be packed into this plain looking fruit - truly a surprise. If you must cook it, it makes a quick and delicious sauce like its Duchess relatives. It ripens in mid-September in central Maine. It should be hardy to zone 3. Currently growing at Super Chilly Farm.