Family
Rosaceae
Botanical Name
MALUS domestica 'Yellow Horse'
Plant Common Name
Apple, Cider Apple, Cooking Apple, Yellow Eating Apple, Yellow Horse Apple
General Description
Also known as 'Horse', this summer-ripening, heat-tolerant apple has long been grown and cherished by backyard gardeners in the Southeast United States. The medium to large, slightly flattened fruits have thick yellow skin and firm, juicy, tart/sweet flesh. They are good for eating, drying, cooking, and preserving. Plant this heirloom cultivar near other apple varieties to insure cross-pollination and maximum fruiting. It makes a good choice for home and specialty growers in areas with mild winters and hot summers.
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.
Apple trees do best in full sun and moist well-drained soil, but tolerate light shade and periodic 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.
