Worcester Pearmain

History and description of Worcester Pearmain

Raised by Mr Hale of Swan Pool, St Johns, Worcester, UK. Believed to have been a Devonshire Quarrenden seedling. Introduced by St John's Nursery 1874. Received a First Class Certificate from the RHS in 1875. It soon became established as the main early commercial variety in England and continues to be grown commercially on a relatively small scale.

Medium sized, round-conical fruit. Often lopsided. Bright red flush almost completely covering the smooth yellowish green skin. White, firm but tender, juicy flesh. Very sweet. Flavour can be variable. At its best a lovely sweet intense strawberry flavour but rather plain at other times. Does not keep well. The fruit should be left on the tree for as long as possible for the flavour and colour to develop and eaten soon after picking.

Modrately vigorous tree. Partial tip bearer. Very attractive blossom. Partially self-fertile heavy cropper. Resistant to mildew but prone to scab and canker. Suitable for growing in colder northern but not very humid areas.

Characteristics of Worcester Pearmain apple trees

Use	Dessert
Colour	Red
Flavour	Sweet
Fruit size	Medium
Picking time	Early/Mid Sep
Season of use	Sep-Oct
Tree vigour	Moderate
Tree habit	Upright-spreading
Fruit-bearing	Partial tip-bearer
Cropping	Heavy
Disease resistance	Scab - Susceptible Canker - Susceptible Mildew - Very resistant
Suitable for	Dry Regions Late Frost Northern Britain
Special features	Attractive Blossom
Pollination date	11
Pollination group	C
Self-fertility	Partially self-fertile
Pollinators	Pollination partners
Parentage	Devonshire Quarrenden
Progeny	Discovery Laxton's Early Crimson Elton Beauty Eros Exeter Cross Flame Garnet Hunter's Majestic Jester Katy Lord Lambourne Merton Worcester Michaelmas Red Opal Pearl Tydeman's Early Worcester William Crump Winston