Cultivar 480: Norcue

Norcue is a prairie apple from Heyer #12 x Rescue. It was bred by Dr. C. R. Ure for the Prairie Fruit Breeding Cooperative, originated at Morden, was selected at Beaverlodge in 1958, and was released through the Beaverlodge program in Alberta in 1975. It was later rated among the top hardy apples recommended for the Prairie Provinces. [S1] [S2] [S3]

The fruit is small to medium, about 5 to 5.5 cm across, and slightly oblate. Its ground color is greenish yellow with a dull red wash or striping. The flesh is cream to yellow and is sometimes tinged pink. Sources consistently place it in the sweet dessert class, with crisp, juicy, full flavoured fruit. Records also note fresh and processing use, and one source calls it good for cooking. [S1] [S3]

Sources place Norcue in the early season. One says early to mid August. Another says the end of August. It is described as keeping fairly well, and one source says it stores well for an early summer apple. [S1] [S3]

The tree is vigorous, upright spreading, precocious, and productive each year. Hardiness evidence is strong but not fully uniform. One prairie recommendation list rates it H1, the hardiest class. A directory entry gives it H1-2, between the hardiest and moderately hardy classes. A cultivar sheet describes it as hardy to Zone 2a. Prairie notes also caution that although it performed well at Jarvie, a young tree east of Dapp was severely injured in the winter of 1989-1990. Reaction to fire blight was still untested in the cultivar profile used here. [S1] [S3]

Norcue fits the prairie breeding effort to combine dessert quality with northern hardiness. Its parentage matters because Rescue was one of the key hardy prairie apples, and Norcue appears to carry that hardiness into a sweeter dessert type rather than a strictly utility fruit. Its name also places it among the Beaverlodge "Nor" apples, which helps identify its program history and regional identity. [S2] [S3]

Summary source basis

• S1: Edible Apples in Prairie Canada
• S2: An index of fruit cultivars tested or developed on the Canadian prairies.
• S3: Norcue

This summary currently draws chiefly from Norcue, with 2 additional supporting sources linked below.

Featured source descriptions

“Notes describe a 5 cm fruit with greenish-yellow ground overlaid with dull red stripes.”
— ^[3]

“Early season entry.”
— ^[2]

“H1 hardiness rating.”
— ^[1]

“The fruit is described as sweet dessert apple material; flesh is crisp, juicy, very sweet, and full flavoured.”
— ^[3]

Direct parent cultivars

• No direct linked parent cultivars promoted yet.

Parentage claim text

• Listed as 'Heyer 12' x 'Rescue'.
• Parentage is listed as Heyer #12 x Rescue.
• Parentage given as Heyer #12 x Rescue.

Derived or downstream cultivar links

• No derived or downstream lineage links yet.

Source-story quotations

• Norcue (Heyer #12 x Rescue) Beaverlodge (1975) Fruit 5cm, greenish-yellow ground, overlaid with dull red stripes. Sweet dessert, ripening end of August and keeps fairly well.Edible Apples in Prairie Canada, p50
• Norcue (Heyer #12 x Rescue) Beaverlodge (1975) Fruit 5cm, greenish-yellow ground, overlaid with dull red stripes. Sweet dessert, ripening end of August and keeps fairly well.Edible Apples in Prairie Canada, p50
• Norcue (Heyer #12 x Rescue) Beaverlodge (1975) Fruit 5cm, greenish-yellow ground, overlaid with dull red stripes. Sweet dessert, ripening end of August and keeps fairly well.Edible Apples in Prairie Canada, p50
• Norcue (Heyer #12 x Rescue) Beaverlodge (1975) Fruit 5cm, greenish-yellow ground, overlaid with dull red stripes. Sweet dessert, ripening end of August and keeps fairly well.Edible Apples in Prairie Canada, p50

Taxonomy context: No family-tree context surfaced yet.

Related cultivars mentioned in source context