A great backyard tree, Grimes is vigorous and self-fertile (though crops will be improved by a pollenizer), and it is resistant to scab, powdery mildew, fireblight, and cedar-apple rust. It is susceptible to collar rot, and bitter pit, and it tends to overcrop. It needs to be thinned to maintain good fruit size, but it is a reliably annual bearer. This tree has a very long bloom period, and some growers consider it a universal pollenizer.

The fruit is medium-to-large, slightly oblong, and sometimes ribbed. It is speckled with yellow or russet lenticels. The skin is a bit tough, sometimes scruffy, but the flesh is snappily crisp and fine grained. This apple is almost certainly the parent of Golden Delicious, and, as you would expect, is very sweet. But is has an aromatic balance that Golden Delicious lacks, and many tasters describe it as spicy, pointing to notes of nutmeg and pepper. Grimes is a dessert apple of the highest quality, and it also is a winner in the kitchen. It stores for several months–during which time the yellow of ifs skin will deepen–and its hardy exterior make it a great farmstand apple. Traditionally, this was also a popular apple among cider makers. In Apples of North America, Tom Burford notes that old still sites in the Blue Ridge Mountains are often surrounded by Grimes Golden trees. (From WSU: "Tannin (percent tannic acid): 0.07; Acid (percent malic acid): 0.61; pH: 3.45; SG: 1.052; ^oBrix 12.2.")

The exact origin of Grimes is not clearly known, but Beach (Apples of New York) states that fruit from the original tree was being sold to New Orleans traders as early as 1804. Grimes Golden enjoyed popularity in the south, and my great grandfather, Omer Cummins, planted 20 acres of Grimes on his property in Illinois at the turn of the century, a commitment that reflects the popularity of the variety at the time.