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Roxbury Russet Apple on B.118 (Spring 2025)


One of America's oldest apples, good for storage, baking, and cider. Also known as Belpre Russet, Boston Russet, Hewe's Russet, Putnam Russet, Leather Coat.

A cold-hardy, high vigor, open-spreading tree, Roxbury is triploid and will require two diploid pollenizers for full fertility. Reports on disease resistance vary wildly; in our orchards we find that it is mildly susceptible to all major diseases, but that its vigorous growth tends to outpace these problems. It has a slight tendency (easily managed by thinning) to biennialism. Roxbury is tip bearing.

This late-season apple is large, green-gold, and covered with a fine russet that thickens toward the stem. The flesh is hard, granular, and crunchy. Almost inedibly tart when first harvested, it will sweeten and mellow in storage. It needs to be harvested promptly as it has a tendency to drop, but it will store well through the winter. Roxbury is an excellent baker, and it is a favorite with cider makers. From WSU: Tannin (percent tannic acid): 0.08; Acid (percent malic acid): 0.61; pH: 3.50; SG: 1.061; °Brix: 15.9.

Along with Rhode Island Greening, this is one of the oldest varieties native to America. It first grew on the farm of Ebenezer Davis in Roxbury, Massachusetts early in the 1600s. In the late 1700s, it was brought to Marietta, Ohio and sold by Putnam Nursery under the names Putnam Russet and Marietta Russet. It was also known as Shippens Russet in New York for a brief period, when it was cultivated by Chief Justice Shippen.

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A cold-hardy, high vigor, open-spreading tree, Roxbury is triploid and will require two diploid pollenizers for full fertility. Reports on disease resistance vary wildly; in our orchards we find that it is mildly susceptible to all major diseases, but that its vigorous growth tends to outpace these problems. It has a slight tendency (easily managed by thinning) to biennialism. Roxbury is tip bearing.

This late-season apple is large, green-gold, and covered with a fine russet that thickens toward the stem. The flesh is hard, granular, and crunchy. Almost inedibly tart when first harvested, it will sweeten and mellow in storage. It needs to be harvested promptly as it has a tendency to drop, but it will store well through the winter. Roxbury is an excellent baker, and it is a favorite with cider makers. From WSU: Tannin (percent tannic acid): 0.08; Acid (percent malic acid): 0.61; pH: 3.50; SG: 1.061; °Brix: 15.9.

Along with Rhode Island Greening, this is one of the oldest varieties native to America. It first grew on the farm of Ebenezer Davis in Roxbury, Massachusetts early in the 1600s. In the late 1700s, it was brought to Marietta, Ohio and sold by Putnam Nursery under the names Putnam Russet and Marietta Russet. It was also known as Shippens Russet in New York for a brief period, when it was cultivated by Chief Justice Shippen.


The Fruit

Fruit Type

Category: Apple
Subcategory: Heirloom, Cider, Cold-Hardy

Fruit Uses & Storage

Uses: fresh eating, cider, baking, storage, sauce
Cider classification: sharp
Storage duration: three plus months (approximate, depending on storage conditions)

Fruit Appearance

Skin color: russeted
Flesh color: off-white

Fruit Origins

Parentage: unknown
Origin: Roxbury, Massachusetts
Introduced in: 1649
Introduced by: Ebenezer Davis

The Environment

Calendar & Geography

USDA zones: 4 - 7
Chill hours: 1000
Ripening date: Oct 20 (approximate, in New York State) + 35 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: Susceptible
Powdery Mildew: Susceptible
Apple Scab: Susceptible
Cedar-Apple Rust: Susceptible

Pollination

Pollination Factors

Bloom group: 3
Is it self-fertile? N
Is it fertile? N
Ploidy: Triploid
Rootstock size class: Semi-Standard (90% of Standard)

Pollination Partners

This table shows the first few results from a full search for pollenizers of Roxbury Russet 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.

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Pixie Crunch™ Apple on B.118 2025 9
Harrison Apple on B.118 2025 8

See all pollination matches for Roxbury Russet Apple on B.118






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