The tree is upright-spreading to rounded and moderately vigorous. It is slow to bear, but once established, it is hardy and dependable. It is fairly resistant to most major diseases, but somewhat susceptible to fireblight. The fruit should be thinned to maintain quality and annual bearing. Mother is partially self-fertile, but will be more productive if partnered with a pollenizer.

Mother is an outstanding eating apple that ripens mid-September in upstate New York. The fruit is tallish and conical, with a skin colored bright red over yellow-orange. It has a distinctive flavor that is often described as balsamic or piney, but it does needs full sun to be at its best. Tom Burford includes Mother on his list of Top 20 Dessert Apples, and writers as early as Beach (Apples of New York) have compared Mother to Esopus Spitzenburg in terms of quality. This apple never achieved commercial success, mainly because it does not store well, but it is an excellent tree for the apple enthusiast who wants a small specialty orchard.

Mother was first discovered in the garden of General Stephen P. Gardener in Bolton, Wooster County, Massachusetts. In its heyday, Mother was a favorite tree in the south, where it readily ripens to full flavor.