Apple Tree Melrose - Malus domestica

The 'Melrose' Apple Tree is a vigorous, productive variety with fast fruiting. It produces round, flattened fruits, approximately 7.5 to 8 cm (3in) in diameter, with a shiny red skin on a yellow background. Their flesh is white-yellow, sweet, juicy, sugary, and slightly acidic. Harvest takes place in October and the fruits can be stored until April. The 'Melrose' Apple Tree is not self-fertile. It is easily thinned. It is resistant to scab.

The apple tree is native to Europe, including France where its presence has been documented since antiquity. The 'Melrose' Apple Tree is a selected variety from Wooster, Ohio, in the United States, in the 1930s. It is the result of a cross between 'Jonathan' x 'Golden Delicious', similar to the variety 'Jonagold'.

The 'Melrose' Apple Tree has an upright habit, giving it a very elegant appearance. It is highly productive, so it will need to be thinned to too many small fruits and the occurrence of diseases. Its foliage consists of very large, ovate, slightly hairy leaves that are dark green on top and whitish green on the underside, with deeply dentate margins. The late white flowering occurs at the end of April. The flowering is not susceptible to frost, making the apple tree suitable for cultivation in all regions. Self-sterile, the presence of apple trees with flowering at the same time is necessary. The varieties 'Golden Delicious', 'Granny Smith', and 'Queen of the Pippins' are the most suitable.

Fruiting begins in October and the fruits can be stored in a cool place (cellar or refrigerator) until April. The fruits, round and flattened, with a shiny red skin on a yellow background, have white-yellow flesh that is sweet, juicy, sugary, and slightly acidic.

These apples are particularly good for eating or cooking. They can of course be used in pastries, jams, jellies, or in savoury dishes, in combination with cheeses, for example.