King David Apple Tree Overview
The King David apple tree is well known not only for being the apple of choice for baking pies and strudels, but also for making hard cider due to its juicy, spicy, acidic, sweet-tart like flavor. In fact, the cidery taste will remind you of Winecrisp apple variety! Moreover, when cooked it turns into a rich, yellow color. Idared is medium in size and has green base color covered in dark red. The flesh is yellow and firm. Ben Frost found it as a wild seedling in Washington County, Arkansas in 1893. It is thought to be a cross between ‘Jonathan’ and ‘Arkansas Black’ . Another possibility is that it is a cross between Winesap and Arkansas Black. Introduced in 1902.
While the tree can grow well in hardiness zones 5 to 9, it also tolerates humid climates and needs warm fall season to ripen fully. It ripens in late October, two weeks after Delicious and the fruit hangs on the tree very well. The fruit will color quickly before being fully ripe, so be careful of picking too early otherwise it will have tart-like flavor. The tree is moderately vigorous spreading tree, productive with alternate cropping. After picking can keep well in cold storage for two months. King David apple trees are susceptible to fireblight in Central New York, but resistant to rust, cedar apple rust, blight and mildew. It’s self-sterile and needs a good pollinator.
Growing Characteristics
- Uses: making hard-cider, eating fresh, making pie and sauces, cooking, making apple strudel
- Taste: crisp, juicy, slightly sweet, tart, spicy, cider-like taste similar to Winecrisp
- Size: Medium
- Color: Green base color covered in dark red.
- Hardiness Zones: 5 – 9
- Disease resistance
- Rust – resistant
- Cedar apple rust – moderately resistant
- Blight – resistant
- Mildew – resistant
- Fireblight – susceptible (in central New York)
- Harvest period: 5
- Flowering Group: 3
- Cross Pollinates with: Alkmene, Cortland, Ginger Gold, McIntosh, Wickson, WineCrisp to name a few!
- Cultivation: This apple tree is moderately vigorous spreading tree. Can tolerate humid climates. Requires warm fall season to ripen fully.
- Storage: Keeps well in cold storage for two months.
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