Baldwin Apple Tree (domestic)

Description:

Old-time favorites. Now endangered. Apple trees can be recognized by the short stubby twigs which line their branches. Called spurs, they grow only a fraction of an inch each year, providing sturdy support to the heavy fruit. The Baldwin was discovered as a chance seedling in Mass. in the 1700s. The core of the old trees have rotted decades earlier and there is now an entrance to its hollow heart where a dead branch broke off. The tree stills bears fruit each year.

Habitat:

Orchard filled with a number of old-time favorites including Pippin, Empire, Gala and Honeycrisp.

Notes:

Endangered Apples. We once were a continent that enjoyed thousands of apple varieties. Each with its ecological niche and special uses. For a number of reasons, just 11 varieties now make up over 90 percent of apples consumed in the U.S. and many old-time favorites are in danger of extinction.