Last updated: December 19, 2024
Article
Historic Apple Cultivars in Yosemite National Park
Orchards were a common feature of homesteads and ranches throughout the country with apples being the most widely grown fruit. Grafted trees became the norm leading to a greater variety of trees suited to different growing conditions. Nurseries popped up in newly settled towns and supplied homesteaders with the common varieties of the time. Customers could choose from dozens of cultivars with catchy names and enticing characteristics. Some apples were better for cider, others for baking, and yet others for eating fresh.
An inventory of the yosemite orchards, completed in 2016-2017, included genetic testing of the trees. The majority of trees matched known cultivars from the mid-1800s, while some trees matched to rare, unknown cultivars. The following apples represent the known cultivars growing in the historic orchards of Yosemite. The watercolor sketches are from the USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection.

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection