Esopus Spitzenburg was one of Thomas Jefferson's two favorite Apple varieties, the other being 'Albemarle Pippin.' He recorded the planting of thirty-two of these trees in the South Orchard at Monticello between 1807 and 1812. A.J. Downing, America's foremost nineteenth-century pomologist, described Esopus Spitzenburg as "a handsome, truly delicious apple...unsurpassed as a dessert fruit...considered the first of apples." Today, apple connoisseurs still consider this variety among the finest ever known. It bears handsome red apples, ripening in late autumn, with firm, juicy yellow flesh. The apples have a delicious, brisk, rich flavor that is unforgettable. More information about Monticello Apples is available.
Visit Monticello’s Online Shop to check for seeds or plants of Esopus Spitzenburg Apple.
Blossom Color(s): White
Location at Monticello: South Orchard
In Bloom at Monticello is made possible by support from The Richard D. and Carolyn W. Jacques Foundation.
