Lady Apple on G.11 (Spring 2026)

A small tree that bears heavily, Lady is recommended for the home garden. The tree is strongly biennial, but it will crop heavily in its productive years. It has a very upright habit–limb spreading is recommended–and it is susceptible to fireblight and scab, but resistant to cedar-apple rust.

Growing in clusters of four to seven apples, Lady is small (about one inch diameter), flattish, and highly fragrant. It has a long-standing traditional association with Christmas, and a bowl or wreath of these fragrant yellow and scarlet jewels does seem like the perfect seasonal centerpiece. The skin is thin and delicate, and the flesh is fine grained and white. Bright and astringent when harvested at the end of October, the flavor mellows by Christmas to a nutty sweetness. Because it is a small and flavorful apple, it was popular during the Renaissance when ladies would keep one tucked away in their pockets to use as a breath freshener. It will store well (not in your pocket) for about two months.

This apple was grown in the garden of Louis XIII in Orleans 1628. It most likely originated as seedling in the Forest of Api in Bretagne, west France. In France it is called Api, and the Victorian author Robert Hogg reports that it was called une pomme des damoiselles et de bonne compagnie, an apple for ladies and good company.