Cultivar 486: Heyer #12

Heyer #12 is a prairie apple selection. It is usually treated as a cooking apple, not a dessert fruit. Sources describe it as a Russian apple seedling, possibly from Blushed Calville, selected by Adolph or Alfred Heyer at Neville, Saskatchewan, from seed obtained from A. P. Stevenson at Morden, Manitoba. Some records associate it with 1940, while another says it was introduced commercially in 1950. Sources do not fully agree on the date. In prairie recommendation lists, it was still classed as highly recommended and noted for hardiness, drought tolerance, and productivity. [S2] [S1]

The fruit is small to medium, about 5 to 6 cm across, nearly round, and green yellow to straw colored when mature. The flesh is nearly white, medium coarse, juicy, acid, and sometimes described as bland. Fresh eating quality is poor to only fair. Multiple sources instead treat it as a kitchen apple for pies, sauce, and general cooking, though one source says it is only fair to good for cooking because the cut flesh oxidizes quickly. [S2] [S1]

Its season is early, with harvest from about mid August into September. Sources agree that it ripens quickly, drops badly while coloring, and deteriorates fast once ripe. It should be picked before full maturity, or just before it turns yellow, to be used well. Keeping quality is poor. One source says it breaks down quickly after picking, and another gives storage at only one to two weeks. [S2] [S1]

The tree is described as moderately vigorous, open, and spreading, with wide angled, strong branches. It is annually productive or a heavy producer, grows in dry areas, and is repeatedly noted for reliability under prairie conditions. One source calls it very resistant to fire blight. [S2] [S1]

Hardiness is one of the main reasons Heyer #12 remained important. Recommendation lists rate it H1, the hardiest class, and profile material calls it very hardy, even to zone 1. Another source adds that it can still show moderate to severe injury in zone 5, suggesting that even very hardy prairie apples were not immune to damage in the coldest sites. A prairie apple guide also says some growers would place it near the top of any list for popularity, hardiness, drought resistance, and productivity, though others thought similar apples had surpassed it because they held better on the tree. [S2] [S1]

Heyer #12 also mattered as breeding material. Later prairie breeding tables do not change its own parentage, but they show it used many times as a parent in crosses with cultivars such as Haralson, Dr. Bill, Melba, Goodland, and Rosilda. In one summary table, it appears 15 times as a female parent and once as a male parent, and the cross Heyer #12 x Dr. Bill produced five selections. Coutts later called it obsolete but still a fair breeder, which helps explain why it remained in breeding records even as newer cultivars challenged it in orchard use. [S3] [S1]

A related source on Rutherford uses Heyer #12 as a benchmark and says Heyer #12 deteriorates more quickly on the tree. That comparison reinforces the older view of Heyer #12 as a dependable prairie cooking apple with real hardiness value, but short shelf life and weak dessert quality. [S4] [S2]

Summary source basis

• S1: Edible Apples in Prairie Canada
• S2: Heyer 12
• S3: PrairieFruitBreedingDoc
• S4: Rutherford1

This summary currently draws chiefly from Heyer 12, with 1 additional supporting sources linked below.

Featured source descriptions

“Heyer #12 is described as popular and drought resistant.”
— ^[1]

“Heyer #12 is described as notable for hardiness.”
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“Heyer #12 is described as productive.”
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“Some growers would place Heyer #12 near the top of any recommended list for the prairie region.”
— ^[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

• Heyer #12 (Russian apple sdlg) Heyer (c. 1940) ST Fruit 6cm, green-yellow, very late. Drops badly while ripening. Too tart for use as a dessert apple, but fine for cooking. Breaks down quickly after picking, so should be picked just before fruit turns yellow. Heavy producer. Grows in dry areas. "Obsolete. Afair breederEdible Apples in Prairie Canada, p36
• Heyer #12 (Russian apple sdlg) Heyer (c. 1940) ST Fruit 6cm, green-yellow, very late. Drops badly while ripening. Too tart for use as a dessert apple, but fine for cooking. Breaks down quickly after picking, so should be picked just before fruit turns yellow. Heavy producer. Grows in dry areas. "Obsolete. Afair breederEdible Apples in Prairie Canada, p36
• Heyer #12 (Russian apple sdlg) Heyer (c. 1940) ST Fruit 6cm, green-yellow, very late. Drops badly while ripening. Too tart for use as a dessert apple, but fine for cooking. Breaks down quickly after picking, so should be picked just before fruit turns yellow. Heavy producer. Grows in dry areas. "Obsolete. Afair breederEdible Apples in Prairie Canada, p36
• Heyer #12 (Russian apple sdlg) Heyer (c. 1940) ST Fruit 6cm, green-yellow, very late. Drops badly while ripening. Too tart for use as a dessert apple, but fine for cooking. Breaks down quickly after picking, so should be picked just before fruit turns yellow. Heavy producer. Grows in dry areas. "Obsolete. Afair breederEdible Apples in Prairie Canada, p36

Taxonomy context: No family-tree context surfaced yet.

Related cultivars mentioned in source context