red china

This red-fleshed, roadside seedling was discovered by John growing in the ditch that borders Alder Park Road near the China Town Office in China, (Kennebec County) ME in about 2010. He noticed it amongst the pucker brush as he drove by one May because of its large, dense clusters of pink flowers. The clear pink petals have a slightly bluish tint, and the foliage is silvery grey which set it apart from other red-fleshed apples. He went back the next winter to collect scionwood - a lucky move since the original seedling tree was cut down a year or two later to make way for a driveway. We now have two trees growing on the farm.

The fruit is medium-sized, deep magenta pink with a bluish tone. There are some orange and red tones in the skin color too. The flesh has the soft texture and color of a ripe watermelon in August. The flavor is very tart. It cooks into a slightly granular, neon-pink sauce that is reminiscent of cranberry. Red China is suitable for early season pies and cider, but blend it with other apples. It does not keep more than a couple of weeks.

It ripens in late August to early September in central Maine. We’re very excited about this tree.

P.S. Look for those pink-flowering roadside seedlings in spring.  They will all have red flesh.