Cultivar 485: Harcourt

Harcourt is a dessert apple grown on the Canadian prairies. Its fruit is about 5 to 6 cm across, with a bright red blush over a greenish yellow ground and white flesh described as crisp, juicy, mild, and pleasantly sub-acid. [S1] [S2] [S3] [S5] Prairie recommendation lists include it among apples worth growing in at least the more favorable parts of the region, and one prairie guide rated it highly recommended with moderate hardiness. [S1] [S2]

Its parentage is recorded as unknown. Sources link it to the University of Alberta and give 1955 as its reference or development year. [S2] [S3] A directory entry adds that it was selected from Wilson Orchards at Gleichen, Alberta, was formerly grown as Algood or Allgood, and was named for Prof. Geo. Harcourt of the University of Alberta. [S1]

Sources describe Harcourt as a good dessert apple, not a keeper. Fruit descriptions call it bright red with a light wax and note some similarity to George. [S1] One prairie production guide says it ripens in late August, while a recommendation table places it in the early apple season. [S2] Another index table lists it for both fresh use and processing, but the main emphasis across sources is fresh dessert quality. [S3] [S5]

The tree is described as vigorous. [S1] Hardiness is less settled than the recommendation codes suggest. Prairie lists rate it H2, or moderately hardy, and include it among apples suited to more favorable prairie zones. [S1] [S2] Saskatchewan sources are more cautious. They say it has not been hardy in northern Saskatchewan, rate it only marginal in Saskatchewan tables, and recommend it for well protected sites or trial planting in Zone 3B and possibly Zone 4. [S4] [S5] [S6]

Harcourt is part of the mid century prairie search for edible apples beyond the usual hardy crabapple types. The records place it within the University of Alberta and prairie evaluation network, and its mixed reputation shows the gap that often existed between regional promise and performance in colder prairie exposures. [S1] [S2] [S3]

Disease reports conflict. Saskatchewan comparison material lists Harcourt as susceptible to fireblight, while later Saskatchewan tables place it in the good resistance class. [S5] [S4] [S6] That conflict should remain in view when reading older recommendations.

Summary source basis

• S1: Edible Apples in Prairie Canada
• S2: Tree fruit production for the Prairie Provinces
• S3: An index of fruit cultivars tested or developed on the Canadian prairies.
• S4: HortFactsAppleCultivars CStushnoff 1985
• S5: hortfacts_1976_3.pdf
• S6: hortfacts stushnoff

This summary currently draws chiefly from Edible Apples in Prairie Canada, with 5 additional supporting sources linked below.

Featured source descriptions

“Described as similar to George.”
— ^[1]

“Skin is slightly waxed.”
— ^[1]

“H2 hardiness rating.”
— ^[1]

“Good quality dessert apple.”
— ^[1]

Direct parent cultivars

• No direct linked parent cultivars promoted yet.

Parentage claim text

• No direct breeding_cross claim text yet.

Derived or downstream cultivar links

• No derived or downstream lineage links yet.

Source-story quotations

• Harcourt (unknown) ... Gleichen, AB STEdible Apples in Prairie Canada, p35
• Harcourt (unknown) ... Gleichen, AB STEdible Apples in Prairie Canada, p35
• Harcourt (unknown) ... Gleichen, AB STEdible Apples in Prairie Canada, p35
• Harcourt (unknown) ... Gleichen, AB STEdible Apples in Prairie Canada, p35

Taxonomy context: No family-tree context surfaced yet.

Related cultivars mentioned in source context