Melba is a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

cultivar of domesticated

apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple fruit tree, trees are agriculture, cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, wh ...

, which was developed by W. T. Macoun at the Central Experimental Farm, in

Ottawa, Ontario Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

by crossing a

McIntosh McIntosh, Macintosh, or Mackintosh (Gaelic: ') may refer to: Products and brands * Mackintosh, a form of waterproof raincoat * Mackintosh's or John Mackintosh and Co., later Rowntree Mackintosh, former UK confectionery company now part of Nestl� ...

with a

Liveland Raspberry apple Liveland Raspberry or Lowland Raspberry is an old cultivar of domesticated apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in ...

. It has a yellow skin washed with crimson colour. Flesh is extremely white, firm and crisp. Flavor is sweet with hints of tart. There is also a Red Melba

mutation In biology, a mutation is an alteration in the nucleic acid sequence of the genome of an organism, virus, or extrachromosomal DNA. Viral genomes contain either DNA or RNA. Mutations result from errors during DNA or viral replication, mi ...

which is more red coloured, and is ripening later in season. This tree is very productive and can bear fruit at a young age, but has a

biennial tendency Biennial bearing (or alternate) bearing is a term used in pomology to refer to trees that have an irregular crop load from year to year. In the "on" year too much fruit is set, leading to small fruit size. Excess weight in the main branches can be ...

and early harvest. Need high skill gardening but highly rewarded. It is mainly used for fresh eating. Sunday, 25 September 2022

Gallery

File:Pomological Watercolor POM00002873.jpg, US Department of Agriculture watercolor File:Melba on tree, National Fruit Collection (acc. 1925-021).jpg, Melba growing on tree

References

Apple cultivars {{apple-fruit-stub