Calville Blanc d'Hiver Apple
One of the oldest apples still in existence, the picturesque Calville has been around in France and Germany since the mid 1600s. The Premier French baking apple. Monarchs and Presidents alike rave about this apple- records show this apple was planted at Versailles and Monticello. Records of this apple date back to 1627 but the apple was probably developed in the late 1500s. It remains popular in Germany and the Low Countries as well. Claude Monte printed this apple in his 1880 work Apples and Grapes.
The apple itself is lumpy, squat, chartreuse, heavily lobed, and quite large. It forms 5 lobes- the ribbing ascends the apple from bottom to top giving it a pumpkin like appearance. Its skin is pale green in color that blushes slightly red sunside. It needs about a month in storage to fully develop its flavor but will turn a pale yellow during that time. Its flesh is pale yellow, tender, and tart. Again, storage mellows out this flavor. The tree tends to grow upright and droops with age giving it a weeping appearance. It's an annual bearer but needs a couple crops to achieve the highest quality apples. The apple ripens in October and is resistant to scab but susceptible to powdery mildew. Bare root trees will ship in Spring 2025.
USDA Zone 5-9
Mature Height:
M.7 ~14-16' or 60-70% of Standard; Semi-Dwarf
G.969 ~15-17' or 65-75% of Standard; Semi-Dwarf
Sun: Full Sun
Bloom Group: 4, Late Mid Season
Ripening Time: Early October
Pollination: Required
Cider Profile: Sharp