| 'Spartan' | |
|---|---|
| Details | |
| Hybrid parentage | 'McIntosh' × Unknown |
| Cultivar | 'Spartan' |
| Origin | Summerland, British Columbia, Canada, 1936 |
The Spartan apple is an apple cultivar developed by Dr. R.C Palmer and introduced in 1936 from the Federal Agriculture Research Station in Summerland, British Columbia, now known as the Pacific Agri-food Research Centre - Summerland.[1] The Spartan is notable for being the first new breed of apple produced from a formal scientific breeding program.[2] The apple was supposed to be a cross between two North American varieties, the McIntosh and the Newtown Pippin, but recently, it was discovered through genetic analysis that it didn't have the Newtown Pippin as one of the parents and its identity remains a mystery. The Spartan apple is considered a good all-purpose apple.[3] The apple is of medium size and has a bright red blush, but can have background patches of greens and yellows.[4]