Apples · USDA pomological watercolour
Northern Spy Apple
Northern Spy is a late-ripening American heirloom apple that arose around 1800 near East Bloomfield, New York. Prized for baking and cider, it has thin tender greenish-yellow skin flushed with red stripes and juicy, crisp, aromatic flesh balancing sharp acidity with sweetness. It keeps exceptionally well in winter storage, and orchardists valued its aphid-resistant roots — which is why USDA artists documented it repeatedly as a benchmark variety.
| Cultivar | Northern Spy |
|---|---|
| Species | Malus domestica |
| Common fruit | Apple |
| Painted | 1840–1882 |
| Artist(s) | Steadman, Royal Charles b., Passmore, Deborah Griscom, Schutt, Ellen Isham, Newton, Amanda Almira |
| Specimen origin | Michigan, Van Buren, South Haven; New Jersey, Hudson, Jersey City; Canada, Fredericton; New York, Onondaga, Syracuse |
| Collection | USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection |
| Plates | 17 |
All 17 plates
Public domain via the U.S. National Agricultural Library. Plate ids: POM00000005, POM00000282, POM00000283, POM00000305, POM00000306, POM00000307, POM00000308, POM00000592, POM00000593, POM00000594, POM00000595, POM00000596, POM00000597, POM00000598, POM00000599, POM00000600, POM00000601.
