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Kingston Black Apple on B.118 (Spring 2024)


A traditional English bittersharp cider apple, vintage quality. Also known as Kingston.

Kingston Black is not an easy tree; it is slow to bear, and it is susceptible to fireblight, scab, cedar-apple rust, and canker. Eve's Cidery also reports problems with black rot. If you can keep your tree healthy, however, it will be vigorous and rounded in form. The fruit is used exclusively for cider; it is not suitable for fresh eating.

The apple is small to medium-sized and round. The skin is a dramatic crimson-purple, flecked with russet lenticels and russeted at the stem, and the flesh is pure white, stained red near the skin. Kingston Black is one of the most distinguished of the traditional cider apples, and in 1850 Robert Hogg wrote that "this beautiful little apple" was "the most valuable cider apple in England." It yields a superb bittersharp vintage (good for single-variety ciders) juice. Our friends at Eve's Cidery say "Grown well and made well, Kingston Black cider can be revelatory: a seamless balance between tannin and acid, savory and sweet, refreshing and satisfying." In Apples of Uncommon Character, Jacobsen writes that Kingston Black offers a "perfect balance of sweet, tart, bitter and savory saddle sweat, like prosciutto." How could you resist? From WSU: Tannin (percent tannic acid): 0.15; Acid (percent malic acid): 0.61; pH: 3.51; SG: 1.055; oBrix 13.3.

This tree is from Somerset, England. It is probably named after the village of Kingston St. Mary in Somerset, and it is first mentioned in the 1826 catalog of the London Horticultural Society.

Fruit photographed at Black Diamond Farm, Trumansburg, NY.

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Kingston Black is not an easy tree; it is slow to bear, and it is susceptible to fireblight, scab, cedar-apple rust, and canker. Eve's Cidery also reports problems with black rot. If you can keep your tree healthy, however, it will be vigorous and rounded in form. The fruit is used exclusively for cider; it is not suitable for fresh eating.

The apple is small to medium-sized and round. The skin is a dramatic crimson-purple, flecked with russet lenticels and russeted at the stem, and the flesh is pure white, stained red near the skin. Kingston Black is one of the most distinguished of the traditional cider apples, and in 1850 Robert Hogg wrote that "this beautiful little apple" was "the most valuable cider apple in England." It yields a superb bittersharp vintage (good for single-variety ciders) juice. Our friends at Eve's Cidery say "Grown well and made well, Kingston Black cider can be revelatory: a seamless balance between tannin and acid, savory and sweet, refreshing and satisfying." In Apples of Uncommon Character, Jacobsen writes that Kingston Black offers a "perfect balance of sweet, tart, bitter and savory saddle sweat, like prosciutto." How could you resist? From WSU: Tannin (percent tannic acid): 0.15; Acid (percent malic acid): 0.61; pH: 3.51; SG: 1.055; oBrix 13.3.

This tree is from Somerset, England. It is probably named after the village of Kingston St. Mary in Somerset, and it is first mentioned in the 1826 catalog of the London Horticultural Society.

Fruit photographed at Black Diamond Farm, Trumansburg, NY.


The Fruit

Fruit Type

Category: Apple
Subcategory: Heirloom, Cider, Hot-Climate

Fruit Uses & Storage

Uses: cider
Cider classification: bittersharp
Storage duration: less than one month (approximate, depending on storage conditions)

Fruit Appearance

Skin color: red
Flesh color: white

Fruit Origins

Parentage: unknown
Origin: Somerset, England
Introduced in: 1800s
Introduced by:

The Environment

Calendar & Geography

USDA zones: 5 - 8
Chill hours: Not yet determined
Ripening date: Oct 27 (approximate, in New York State) + 42 days after McIntosh

Tree Height & Spacing

Rootstock: B.118 Rootstock
Rootstock size class: Semi-Standard (90% of Standard)
Tree spacing (natural spread of tree): 24'
Good for wildlife planting? N

Diseases & Pests

Fireblight: Very Susceptible
Apple Scab: Susceptible
Perennial Canker: Susceptible
Cedar-Apple Rust: Susceptible
Black Rot or Blossom End Rot or Frogeye Leaf Spot: Susceptible

Pollination

Pollination Factors

Bloom group: 4
Is it self-fertile? N
Is it fertile? Y
Ploidy: Diploid
Rootstock size class: Semi-Standard (90% of Standard)

Pollination Partners

This table shows the first few results from a full search for pollenizers of Kingston Black Apple on B.118. Please see our Pollenizer Search to run other queries and read how the application uses various factors. Also read more about fruit tree pollination.

Tree Ships Currently in Stock
Idared Apple on MM.111 2024 11
Wolf River Apple on MM.111 2024 4
Liberty Apple on B.118 2024 0
Williams' Pride Apple on B.118 2024 0
GoldRush Apple on B.118 2024 0
Enterprise Apple on MM.111 2024 0
Enterprise Apple on B.118 2024 0
CrimsonCrisp™ Apple on B.118 2024 0
Keepsake Apple on B.118 2024 0
Sweet Sixteen Apple on B.118 2024 0
Virginia Crab Apple on MM.111 2024 0

See all pollination matches for Kingston Black Apple on B.118






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