Apple Tree Calville Blanche - Malus domestica

The Calville Blanche Apple is an old variety cultivated since the 16th century, very vigorous and productive, with a mid-late flowering period. It produces a large apple, slightly flattened, with an irregular and ribbed shape around the eye, with a smooth, thin, straw yellow skin, marbled with a tender pink on the sunny side, with numerous small lenticels. Its yellowish flesh is fine, firm, crisp, juicy, sweet and tart, with a delicately fruity aroma and a slight taste of banana. Picking begins in early October, the fruits ripen in December and can be stored until March in a cool and airy place. Pleasantly tart and rich in sugar, it is a delicious apple to enjoy throughout the winter. Excellent for cooking, in pies, compotes or sautéed, the Calville Blanche d'Hiver is also greatly appreciated in savoury recipes or for making juice or cider. It is a biennially bearing variety (triploid) that requires the presence of other apple trees to improve pollination.

The Malus domestica, scientifically also known as Malus communis or Malus pumila, is commonly called the Common or Domestic Apple Tree. It belongs to the Rosaceae family. Present in Europe since ancient times, it is a fruit tree native to the forests of Central Asia. It has excellent hardiness and is probably the most cultivated fruit tree in Northern Europe. There are about 20,000 varieties, including approximately 10,000 of American origin, 2,000 of English origin, and 2,000 of Chinese origin. The Calville Blanche is also known as Calville Blanche d'Hiver, Admirable Blanche, Blanche de Zurich, Reinette Côtelée, Bonnet Carré, Calvine, Taponne, Calville Blanc à Côtes and is a very old variety. Its exact origin is somewhat uncertain. It was described by Le Lectier, who, in 1628, named three apple varieties he had in his orchard in Orléans. However, it also has its origins in Normandy, in the vicinity of Évreux, in the small town of Calville, from which it took its name around 1600. It was widespread well before 1598 and was also cultivated in Franche-Comté, Switzerland, and Württemberg, under various local names.

The Calville Blanche Apple Tree is a spreading tree that can reach a width of 4 to 5 metres (13 to 16 feet), with few branches and trailing sub-branches. Its habit is well suited for tall forms and espaliers, with a preference for a sheltered exposure to avoid premature fruit drop. Its foliage consists of large, ovate, dark green leaves on the upper side and pale green on the lower side, deeply dentate. The mid-late flowering occurs around late April to early May, which generally protects it from frost. The white-pink flowers are destroyed by frost at temperatures below -2 to -3°C (28.4 to 26.6°F). It is a triploid variety, which despite its vigour, produces poor-quality pollen, making it very weakly capable of pollinating other apple varieties. It produces apples with few or no fertile seeds. It is said to be self-sterile, which is why the presence of apple trees that bloom at the same time is necessary. The varieties Calville Rouge, Cox's Orange, Fuji, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Idared, Melrose, Reinette Etoilée, Reine des Reinettes, Rouge Delicious, Starking Delicious, Transparente de Croncels, Winter Banana, or any other mid-late flowering variety are suitable for cross-pollination. Ornamental apple trees such as Perpetu Evereste and John Downie flower abundantly and can be excellent pollinators.

The Calville Blanche Apple Tree is a vigorous variety, quickly bearing fruits, very productive, and with little alternation, meaning it produces regularly every year. The homogeneous and abundant fruiting begins in early October, and the fruits ripen in December. The fruits are large, slightly flattened, with an irregular and ribbed shape around the eye, with a smooth, thin, straw yellow skin, marbled with a tender pink on the sunny side, with numerous small lenticels. The yellowish flesh is fine, firm, crisp, juicy, sweet and tart, with a delicately fruity aroma and a slight taste of banana, becoming slightly mealy during long storage.

From December, the apple can be consumed both raw and cooked, in compotes, pastries, paired with cheeses, or as an accompaniment to savoury dishes, with black pudding, pork, or in salads. It is also perfect for making juice or cider. Easy to consume, the apple provides a great feeling of satiety. Rich in carbohydrates and fructose, it is invigorating, energizing, and rehydrating. Its content of vitamins A, B, C, and E, minerals, antioxidants, and fibre make the apple a health asset. The fruits can be stored until March if picked late. Storage can be done in a cool, clean place, protected from light, at a temperature of around 8 to 10°C (46.4 to 50°F), or in a cold room, airtight to the outside air, at a temperature of 1 to 3°C (33.8 to 37.4°F). The apple releases ethylene, a gas that promotes fruit ripening. To accelerate the ripening of your other fruits or vegetables, place your apples next to them.

Malus domestica Calville Blanche is a very productive variety, susceptible to apple scab and woolly aphids, slightly susceptible to powdery mildew, moderately susceptible to canker and bacterial fire blight. To obtain fruits of good quality, it is advisable to thin out the fruit on the tree. Pruning for better air circulation, by removing some branches in the centre of the tree, will provide light and give the fruits a beautiful colour. This will also limit the occurrence of diseases.

Very popular for its fruits, the apple tree finds its rightful place in the garden for the pleasure of young and old alike. Among a wide range of apple trees, it is easy to find the variety that best suits your taste.