Peggy Greb, USDA/ARS
Family
Rosaceae
Botanical Name
Malus domestica 'Empire'
Plant Common Name
Apple, Cider Apple, Empire Apple, Red Eating Apple
General Description
Introduced in 1966 by the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, New York, this cross between 'Red Delicious' and 'McIntosh' is a reliable producer of handsome, tasty apples. Ripening in late summer and early fall, the medium-sized, spherical fruits have yellow skin overlaid with lustrous deep red. The creamy-white flesh of this dessert or cider apple is crisp, sweet, and juicy. The fruits keep for several months. This cultivar bears heavy annual crops on strong vigorous upright trees. Plant it near another early-blooming variety (such as 'McIntosh') for cross-pollination.
There is nothing more satisfying than growing your own apple trees. The domestic apple is most commonly a medium-sized tree with a rounded to oval canopy. It originates from southeastern Europe, Siberia, and southwestern Asia and has been in cultivation for thousands of years. In spring, these trees offer sweet, fragrant flowers of light pink, white or rose, and in fall reward us with crisp, juicy apples.
These fruits have a wide variety of colors, textures and flavors and may be eaten out-of-hand, pressed for cider, frozen, canned or baked in a variety of ways. There are thousands of cultivars available, including many interesting heirlooms as well as fresh new varieties. Different selections vary in height and may bear fruit in late summer or fall.
While the domestic apple prefers full sun and well-drained soil, it will tolerate light shade and bouts of drought. For best fruit production, trees must be vigorously pruned and maintained. Apples are susceptible to many pests and diseases, but resistant varieties are available.
Most apples are grafted onto rootstock that provides a wide range of benefits such as vigor, pest and disease resistance and dwarf stature, depending on the stock.
