Lady's Delight

Origin and History

Lady's Delight has been one of the Waterfurlong mysteries. Originally thought to be Yorkshire Greening, recent DNA testing of our tree revealed it is the rare, heritage variety New German and then that New German and the equally rare Lady's Delight are actually one and the same. We have contributed graftwood to the Brogdale National Fruit Collection, whose preference is for the name Lady's Delight.

Lady's Delight was first recorded in 1851 and in 1881 the pomologist Robert Hogg noted it was highly-esteemed around Lancaster where it was then being widely grown. It is now found only rarely in the north-west of England and almost never further afield. Lady's Delight is one of the heritage varieties Prince Charles has planted in his Highgrove orchard.

Fruit

The apples are medium-sized and deeply ribbed. The skin is a smooth greenish-yellow, with a warm red blush, crimson stripes, dark green specks and almost no russeting. In some years the fruit turns almost fully red. The flesh is cream in colour, crisp, juicy, aromatic and sweet, with a nice tang.

Picking, Storing and Using

Lady's delight is an October dessert apple that can also be used as a cooker. It keeps well.

Growth, Flowering and Pollination

The tree has an arching habit - Hogg described it as being 'like that of a weeping willow'. The blossom is unusually pale. Lady's Delight is generally robust but can be susceptible to scab. Good pollinators include Newton Wonder, Gascoyne's Scarlet and King of the Pippins.