Granny Smith
Encyclopedia
The Granny Ramsey Smith green apple is a tip-bearing apple
cultivar
, which originated in Australia
in 1868. It is named after Maria Ann Smith, who propagated
the cultivar from a chance seedling
. The tree is thought to be a hybrid of Malus sylvestris, the European Wild Apple, with the domestic apple M. domestica as the polleniser. Widely propagated in New Zealand
, it was introduced to the United Kingdom
c. 1935 and the United States
in 1972 by Grady Auvil
. The fruit has hard, light green skin and a crisp, juicy flesh. In some parts of Canada
the Granny Smith is referred to as a Green Delicious.
The cultivar originated in Eastwood, New South Wales
, Australia
(now a suburb of Sydney
) in 1868 from a chance seedling
propagated
by Maria Ann Smith (née Sherwood, b. 1799, d. 9 March 1870), from whom comes the name. The tree is thought to be a hybrid of Malus sylvestris, the European Wild Apple, with the domestic apple M. domestica as the polleniser. Widely propagated in New Zealand
, it was introduced to the United Kingdom
c. 1935 and the United States
in 1972 by Grady Auvil
. The advent of the Granny Smith Apple is celebrated annually in Eastwood with the Granny Smith Festival
.
This cultivar needs fewer winter chill hour
s and a longer growing season to mature the fruit, so it is favoured for the milder areas of the apple growing regions. It is moderately susceptible to fire blight and is highly prone to scab
, powdery mildew
, and cedar apple rust.
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
cultivar
Cultivar
A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...
, which originated in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 1868. It is named after Maria Ann Smith, who propagated
Fruit tree propagation
Fruit tree propagation is usually carried out through asexual reproduction by grafting or budding the desired variety onto a suitable rootstock.Perennial plants can be propagated either by sexual or vegetative means...
the cultivar from a chance seedling
Chance seedling
A chance seedling is a plant that is the product of unintentional breeding. It may be a genetically unique individual with desirable characteristics that is then intentionally bred. Plants that come from the artificial union of gametes from a maternal and paternal source are not chance...
. The tree is thought to be a hybrid of Malus sylvestris, the European Wild Apple, with the domestic apple M. domestica as the polleniser. Widely propagated in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, it was introduced to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
c. 1935 and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1972 by Grady Auvil
Grady Auvil
Grady Auvil was the founder of the Auvil Fruit Company.He established the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission and first cultivated the Granny Smith apple in the United States. In addition, Auvil received the state of Washington's highest honor, The Washington Medal of Merit, from Governor...
. The fruit has hard, light green skin and a crisp, juicy flesh. In some parts of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
the Granny Smith is referred to as a Green Delicious.
History
Eastwood, New South Wales
Eastwood is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Eastwood is located 17 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government areas of the City of Ryde and the City of Parramatta...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
(now a suburb of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
) in 1868 from a chance seedling
Chance seedling
A chance seedling is a plant that is the product of unintentional breeding. It may be a genetically unique individual with desirable characteristics that is then intentionally bred. Plants that come from the artificial union of gametes from a maternal and paternal source are not chance...
propagated
Fruit tree propagation
Fruit tree propagation is usually carried out through asexual reproduction by grafting or budding the desired variety onto a suitable rootstock.Perennial plants can be propagated either by sexual or vegetative means...
by Maria Ann Smith (née Sherwood, b. 1799, d. 9 March 1870), from whom comes the name. The tree is thought to be a hybrid of Malus sylvestris, the European Wild Apple, with the domestic apple M. domestica as the polleniser. Widely propagated in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, it was introduced to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
c. 1935 and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1972 by Grady Auvil
Grady Auvil
Grady Auvil was the founder of the Auvil Fruit Company.He established the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission and first cultivated the Granny Smith apple in the United States. In addition, Auvil received the state of Washington's highest honor, The Washington Medal of Merit, from Governor...
. The advent of the Granny Smith Apple is celebrated annually in Eastwood with the Granny Smith Festival
Granny Smith Festival
The Granny Smith Festival is held in Eastwood, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney, Australia. It is the largest annual event of its type in Lower Northern Sydney...
.
Properties
Granny Smith apples are light green in colour. They are eaten raw and commonly used in pie baking.This cultivar needs fewer winter chill hour
Chilling requirement
The chilling requirement of a fruit is the minimum period of cold weather after which a fruit-bearing tree will blossom. It is often expressed in chill hours, which can be calculated in different ways, all of which essentially involve adding up the total amount of time in a winter spent at certain...
s and a longer growing season to mature the fruit, so it is favoured for the milder areas of the apple growing regions. It is moderately susceptible to fire blight and is highly prone to scab
Apple scab
Apple scab is a disease to Malus trees, such as apple trees, caused by the ascomycete fungus Venturia inaequalis. The disease manifests as dull black or grey-brown lesions on the surface of tree leaves, buds or fruits. Lesions may also appear less frequently on the woody tissues of the tree. Fruits...
, powdery mildew
Powdery mildew
Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that affects a wide range of plants. Powdery mildew diseases are caused by many different species of fungi in the order Erysiphales. It is one of the easier diseases to spot, as its symptoms are quite distinctive. Infected plants display white powdery spots on the...
, and cedar apple rust.