Uniquely sweet and tart flavor
USDA Zones: 6–9
non-self-pollinating
Bloom Time-Early
 
Very old Southern apple; heat-tolerant and disease-resistant.
Absolutely! The “Horse” apple is a fascinating heirloom variety with deep Southern roots—and yes, the name does raise eyebrows, but it’s got nothing to do with actual horses
Region:Believed to have originated in Nash County, North Carolina in the early 1800s
Horse: A widely grown apple most likely originating in North Carolina before 1800. More than any other apple, most older southerners remember the Horse apple. There are several reasons for its widespread popularity. The tree is healthy, grows rapidly, produces large crops of big apples in the middle of summer, makes good cider, and cooks well. The Horse has a flavor unlike others. It is uniquely tart and will disappoint those who like sweet or hard apples. It is however, unforgettable. Fruit size is medium to large, yellow when ripe, possibly red on the sunny side. Flesh is yellow, soft (sometimes firm), and briskly subacid. Ripens late July into August.

HORSE APPLE is also called Yellow Horse, Summer Horse, Green Horse, Oldfield Horse, Mammoth Horse, Hoss and Old Fashion Horse. The variety Hass is a distinct variety, and some of the synonyms are likely seedlings of the variety that probably originated in North Carolina in the 18th century. Usually large in size, it is roundish in shape with the thick, bright-yellow skin occasionally blushed red. The yellow flesh is coarse, tender and acidic, making it a good eating apple. It is tart in flavor until fully ripe; but even then, it is not sweet. The tree is vigorous and has some disease resistance. In Central Virginia, it has been a popular cooking and drying apple, and the vinegar from early cider production was popular for use in pickling. It bears heavy crops annualy and ripens in July.