Knowledgebase

a berry I cannot identify #286057

Asked October 20, 2015, 8:39 PM EDT

I just moved into a house in Talent that has a tree that I believe is a golden ginger apple tree. It has a graft on it of a berry I cannot identify. I am sending you a picture to find out what it is and if I can use the fruit for any purpose? Also a picture of the apples. Can you confirm they are golden ginger?

Jackson County Oregon

Expert Response

We do not know the origin of your belief that these apples are "Ginger Gold", the more accurate name of a cross between a Golden Delicious and an Albemarle Pippin or Newtown Pippin. "Ginger Gold" was developed in the 1960's and is described in  the catalog of  orangepippin.com/apples as "sweet/tart". The only problem is that it is also described as "early harvest", i.e. August or early September. It has limited keeping abilities. So we cannot with certainty confirm your identification. There are literally thousands of apple cultivars (man influenced crosses) that have come and gone over several hundred years. For an interesting look at the wide variety of apple types, search one of several on-line encyclopedias of apples. If it tastes good and is usable in cooking, it doesn't really matter what its name is, does it?
The grafted branch on your tree (which may  instead be a sucker from rootstock grown up) is a crabapple of some kind. Many small crabapples such as these are best left as bird food--they are sometimes very sour, sometimes mealy and more attractive left on the tree. If you do not want them for decorative uses, we recommend pruning out the graft.
marjorie n. OSU Ext. Master Gardener Replied October 21, 2015, 9:10 PM EDT

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