The Macoun apple is a highly favored, late-season variety celebrated for its distinctive flavor and crisp texture, though its availability period is short. This classic dessert apple is often sought out by home growers, but cultivating this cultivar requires specific attention to its needs. Its characteristics can make it challenging compared to hardier varieties. Understanding the Macoun’s requirements, history, and cultivation methods is the first step toward a successful harvest.
Defining the Macoun Apple
The Macoun fruit features a deep crimson to purplish-red skin, often displaying a faint bluish bloom or waxy coating. This dark hue develops best when the fruit receives ample direct sunlight. The flesh is bright, snow-white, and notably crisp and tender, providing a satisfying texture that is less dense than some modern varieties.
The flavor profile is a complex balance of sweet and tart notes, delivering a highly aromatic experience. It features a subtle vinous or berry-like undertone that distinguishes it from its parent, the McIntosh. Because the flesh remains firm and does not break down easily when heated, the Macoun is highly regarded as an eating apple, perfect for fresh consumption and salads. It is also a popular choice for cider making, though it is primarily known as a premium, fresh-eating fruit.
Origin and History
The Macoun apple was developed in the early 20th century, emerging from the breeding program at Cornell University’s New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, New York. The initial cross that created the Macoun was made in 1909 by plant breeder Richard Wellington. It is the result of hybridizing the popular McIntosh apple with the lesser-known Jersey Black cultivar, which likely contributed the Macoun’s distinct dark coloration and flavor depth.
The new variety was officially introduced to growers in 1923. It was named in honor of William T. Macoun, a respected Canadian horticulturalist who worked at the Dominion Experimental Farm in Ottawa. Although some sources cite 1932, 1923 is generally recognized as the release date.
Cultivation Requirements
Site and Soil
Macoun apple trees are vigorous and hardy, performing best in the cooler climates of the northeastern United States (USDA hardiness zones 4 to 8). They require full sun exposure for at least three-quarters of the day to ensure proper fruit color and sugar development. The tree prefers loamy, rich soil with good drainage and will not tolerate waterlogged conditions. The ideal soil pH range falls between 6 and 7.
Maintenance and Pollination
Proper cross-pollination is required, as Macoun trees are self-infertile and cannot set fruit alone. Growers must plant a compatible apple cultivar nearby that flowers during the mid-season period, such as Gala, Honeycrisp, or Cortland. Macoun trees naturally exhibit an upright growth habit, so training and pruning are necessary to develop a spreading canopy that improves light penetration and air circulation. Thinning the fruitlets early in the season is recommended to prevent biennial bearing and ensure good fruit size. The Macoun is highly susceptible to apple scab and powdery mildew, requiring a proactive disease-management program.
Harvesting and Storage
The harvest window typically occurs in mid-to-late September or early October, ripening around the same time as its parent, the McIntosh. Determining the precise harvest time is complicated by the variety’s tendency for premature fruit drop. The Macoun’s short stem means that as the fruit swells, it can push itself off the branch, resulting in a narrow window between peak ripeness and fruit loss.
This apple is not known for its long-term storage capabilities, unlike commercial varieties that can last for months. It inherits a short storage life from the McIntosh, quickly losing its firm texture within a few weeks after picking. For the best quality, the fruit should be consumed or processed shortly after harvesting. Even when refrigerated, Macoun apples are best used within a month to maintain their texture and flavor.