The Wagener (also called Wagener Price and Wagoner) is a

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

of the 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 the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, ' ...

. It was first farmed in 1791 in New York, and is the parent of the

Idared Idared is a type of apple cultivar from Moscow, Idaho, United States. Variety is characterized by a non-uniform skin color. First developed at the University of Idaho Agricultural Experiment Station in 1942; it is a cross between two apple v ...

and, possibly, the

Northern Spy The Northern Spy, also called 'Spy' and 'King', is a cultivar of domesticated apple that originated on the farm of Oliver Chapin in East Bloomfield, New York, in about 1840. It is popular in upstate New York. The Northern Spy was one of four app ...

. Despite the early popularity of the Wagener, it is no longer widely grown.

History

In 1791, George Wheeler started a seedling farm in the area of Penn Yan, New York, with apple seeds that he had brought from Dutchess County, New York. Abraham Wagener, the namesake for the Wagener apple, purchased the nursery in 1795 and planted the trees on his land. The apple was recognized by the

New York State Agricultural Society The New York State Agricultural Society was founded in 1832, with the goal of promoting agricultural improvement. One of its main activities is operating the annual New York State Fair. Activities A major activity of the society is running the ...

in 1847, and began to be propagated extensively in the United States. In 1910, it was brought to England where it received an

Award of Merit The Award of Merit, or AM, is a mark of quality awarded to plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). The award was instituted in 1888, and given on the recommendation of Plant Committees to plants deemed "of great merit for exhibitio ...

from the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nor ...

Appearance and flavor

The Wagener is a medium-sized apple with a flattened, sometimes irregular, shape. The color is mostly red with yellow highlights near the crown. The flesh is white to cream-colored, very crisp, fine-grained, and tender, with a sweet-tart flavor.

Cultivation

The tree grows quickly and is an early fruit producer, contributing to its popularity among farmers wanting an early return from their orchards. The Wagener is criticized for its over-production which can result in crowding and production of low-quality fruit. Without proper pruning and thinning of the developing fruit, the health of the trees can suffer.

References

American apples {{apple-fruit-stub