Description
A very prolific late culinary apple, raised in 1862 in Cheshire, but proven hardy further north, with the attractive pink blossom being fairly frost resistant when in flower. Lord Derby has many attributes: The grass-green fruit have a fine flavour and stay intact when cooked; the tree is very hardy and suitable for the North; it has good resistance to scab and succeeds well on wet soils. It's only vice is a tendency towards over-bearing, so a good thinning in July can be useful!
"Its refined resemblance to Catshead gives credence to the belief that Mr Witham, of Stockport, Cheshire, raised Lord Derby as a seedling from it in the 19th century (recorded 1862). Lord Derby has also proved as hardy as its supposed parent, and has been widely grown throughout the north and Scotland, as appreciated for market as for the farm and home orchard on both sides of the Pennines; the blossom is frost resistant. It can bear too freely for our own good, and heavy crops need thinning to sustain size and quality. The attractive blossom is apple-blossom pink, and the fruit too is often pink when cooked. In softer climes, the fruit ripens to yellow much more quickly than it does in the north, and once yellow it loses its brisk acidity; although when green it needs sugar to offset its acidity, the flavour remains good and strong, and the flesh keeps its shape when cooked." © Lin Hawthorne - 'The Northern Pomona'.
For help with choosing the correct rootstock for your needs, please click here A Guide to Rootstocks
For help with choosing the correct size and shape, please click here A Guide to Fruit Tree Shapes