Laxton's Fortune

Origin and History

Raised by the Laxton Brothers’(sons of Thomas Laxton of Stamford) Bedford nursery in 1904, but not introduced commercially until 1931, Laxton’s Fortune has Cox’s Orange Pippin and Wealthy as its parents. It retains some of the aromatic flavour of Cox but is much easier to grow, originally making it commercially popular on a small-scale. However, Fortune’s biennial fruiting pattern and susceptibility to bruising led to a decline in interest as more reliable varieties came on the market.

Fruit

Laxton’s Fortune is a mid-season eating apple of

medium size. The skin is light green and later in the

autumn often covered with yellow stripes and red mottling. The flesh is creamy white, firm, coarse-textured, sweet and aromatic. It has some russeting, a dry feel to the skin and tiny, inconspicuous lenticels.

Picking, Storing and Using

Pick early September and store until October. It also

makes a good medium-sweet juice.

Growth, Flowering and Pollination

The trees are fairly hardy and resistant to scab.

Whilst most apple varieties are not self-fertile, there is a streak of self-fertility running through Cox's Orange Pippin and its offspring, and Laxton's Fortune will probably set light crops even in the absence of a pollination partner.