English Apples - Annie Elizabeth
Note - I was recently (April 2026) contacted by a radio producer, Louise Orchard, regarding this apple. There is an interesting human story about it, and this was being researched by Louise and her presenter, Lois Pryce, for the documentary series "Illuminated" on Radio 4. I was able to take them to see the tree and to tell them a bit about it; the current owners were also very helpful in being interviewed and supplying historical information not otherwise available. The programme will be going out soon. If you are interested, please click this link .
The tree was raised from a pip planted in 1857 by Samuel Greatorex, magistrate's clerk, Avenue Rd, Leicester. It was named to commemmorate his baby daughter who died in 1866. It was introduced by Harrisons a few years later. Samuel, his first wife Anne and his child are all buried in the local churchyard, St. Mary Magdalene.
A firm, late cooking apple which keeps well. Tree is very upright in habit. Blossom is said in many reference books to be unusually pretty, and descriptions range from 'deep red' to 'deep pink' to 'maroon'. This is evidently a mistake which has been copied from book to book.
The underside of the petals is reddish pink; the upper surface of the petals is a paler pink. From above, the blossom is virtually indistinguishable from that of a Bramley. However by this time, other blossoms in the orchard have faded, so it tends to stand out. The blossom is very late each year; it's one of the last trees to flower. Photographs are below.
Graham Deacon adds: Large golden apple, with red sunny side. Crisp and cooks superbly. Can keep until June-July. The best keeper of all.
Note from ND... The apple literature says that the tree is thought to be a Blenheim Orange seedling. However as an apple breeder I can say that this can't be correct.
The reason - Blenheim is a triploid apple, which means that it has an odd number of chromosomes. This messes up meiosis (spindle formation, for those who are interested) and forming seeds. It also, unsurprisingly, leads to a very low seed count. If you slice open a triploid apple it generally contains very few (often malformed) seeds, and if you are lucky enough to get one to germinate, it either will not grow or forms a weak, puny seedling. Annie Elizabeth on the other hand is exceptionally vigorous and hardy; there's no way it could have grown from a triploid seed.
HOGG said the following in 1884:
ANNIE ELIZABETH. Fruit, large, round, widest at the base, prominently ribbed or angular. Skin, pale yellow on the shaded side,, streaked and spotted on the side next the sun with bright crimson. Eye, with connivent segments, deeply set in an irregular angular basin. Stamens, median ; tube, deep conical. Stalk, short, deeply set, frequently with a swelling on one side of it. Flesh, white, and of firm, yet crisp and tender texture, with a fine, brisk, sprightly flavour. Cells, obovate ; abaxile.
An excellent late kitchen or dessert apple. A seedling raised by Messrs. Harrison & Sons, of Leicester. Keceived a First Class Certificate from the Royal Horticultural Society, 1868.
Pictures (click on small images for detail):
Fruit
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THE ORIGINAL TREE
This is still in existence. Below I have shown pictures of apples taken from it, photographed in March 2011 (note the bright colouring), the tree as it was in 2011, and a watercolour painting of the tree and surrounding garden done about a hundred years earlier. The picture is reproduced by permission of the owner.
The fruit are brightly coloured and show some russeting around the stem. I have also added blossom pictures from the same tree.
Later edit (2026) - Several years ago (about 2018) I received a call to say that a large part of the tree had collapsed uunder the weight of fruit; I went to see, and little of the orignal framework remained. Enormous hollow branches and fragments covered the lawn. There was one very strong shoot about 10ft high growing up from the wreckage; I advised that this be protected and that the rest of the tree should be cut away. This was done, and now the remains of the tree have started to regenerate and bear fruit again, though it will never regain its former size. An information plaque about the tree has been erected nearby.
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BLOSSOM FROM THE ORIGINAL TREE
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Note to buyers - All of our Annie Elizabeth trees are propagated from the original tree.
Leicestershire Heritage Apples Project
Photos - Nigel Deacon & Mel Wilson
