There’s an old Jonathan apple tree (Malus domestica) at the edge of Owl Acres. Last year it was so heavily loaded with fruit that a couple of its branches broke under the weight. This year it has fewer apples but they’re bigger. And, alas, a lot of them are wormy.
The big, sweet apples that we know and love today are not native to North America. They originated in Central Asia around the Caspian and Black Seas. By the 1500s apples had made their way to Western Europe. There, they were cultivated for the fruit and the cider they produced. When the Jesuits came to North America in the 1500s, they brought apple seeds with them and introduced the apple to the native populations. In 1620 the Pilgrims of Massachusetts arrived, bringing apple seeds and seedlings with them, and a few years later, Lord Baltimore encouraged his Maryland settlers to do the same. The apple spread along with the settlers. Apple orchards became common resources for farmers. Apple cider preserved the juice and provided a safe beverage for all ages in a time when clean water could not be guaranteed. The fruits could be stored through the winter or turned into applesauce, jams and jellies for canning. The apples could also be dried for storage and rehydrated later for cooking.
According to Washington State University, there are over 7,500 varieties of apples grown throughout the world. The Jonathan apple variety was first discovered either in New York State or Ohio. Whichever it was, the Jonathan was presented to the Albany Horticultural Society in 1826 and considered one of the most valuable varieties grown in New York State at that time. Since then, horticulturists have created many new varietals based on the Jonathan with such names as Jonagold, Jonafree, and Jonamac.
And those worms in our apples? It’s not just one offender. Its at least two different species that ruin our apples—apple maggot flies and codling moths.
Apple maggot flies (Rhagoletis pomonella), are native to North America. They started out feasting on crab apples, hawthorns and other native fruits but happily moved into the sweet apple scene. The adults emerge from their underground pupa cases in early summer, and eight to ten days later the females are ready to lay their eggs. They pierce holes in the skin of the developing apples and lay one egg at a time. When the eggs hatch a few days later, the larvae start tunneling in the apple, eating and pooping as they go. They will most likely remain in the apple until it falls from the tree. That’s their cue to go underground, hide out as pupae, and wait for next spring to emerge as adults. Some will be too impatient to wait and will emerge as a second generation this year. If it’s warm enough, even a third or fourth generation may occur. Meanwhile they’ve ruined the flesh of the apple. Multiple generations are more common where the weather is warmer and the season longer as in the Southern U.S.
Meanwhile, earlier in the spring, about the time of apple blossoms, another intruder gets ready to feast. Named for a British varietal of cooking apple, the codling moth is a small gray moth with banded or mottled wings and a shiny bronze patch at the tip of each wing. As soon as she emerges, the codling moth (Cydia pomonella) wastes no time in mating and laying her eggs. Within a day of emerging, she mates and deposits her eggs on the leaves of the apple tree. When they hatch, the larvae are creamy white with black heads. They will find their way to the young developing fruit and enter it by the calyx (the part opposite the stem) or by poking a hole in the side of the apple. Each larva will burrow into the apple’s core and eat the seeds and the surrounding flesh. It pushes its frass (poop) out of the entry hole in the apple enlarging the hole over time. In 8 to 14 days, when it’s mature, the caterpillar will exit the hole and search for a place under the bark or debris at the foot of the tree where it can safely spin its cocoon. It may pupate quickly and emerge as a second-generation of the year, or it may wait until next spring to emerge as an adult. These moths are not native to North America. They undoubtedly came along when apples and pears were introduced.
The tree that’s supporting all this activity is about 25 feet tall with a twisted trunk and low branches. Its bark is brown and thin, and its leaves are oval-shaped with finely-toothed edges. Its wood is straight-grained with a fine even texture that polishes well. This makes it suitable for a variety of woodworking projects like cabinets, tool handles, and lathe-work. The wood is also prized for grilling and smoking meats. As far back as Roman times, apple wood was used for the teeth in cogwheels in water mills and windmills. It is still being used in working mills. Legend has it that the most powerful wands are also made of applewood. Just ask Harry Potter!
The only thing we’ll be making out of our tree this year is applesauce. That is if we can find apples that the apple maggots and codling caterpillars haven’t spoiled first.
Photo by Author. Alt text: A solitary Jonathan Apple Tree keeps vigil at the summit of a green Iowa valley. An exceptionally prolific tree, it produces so much fruit that branches break under its weight. The tree actually stands a few feet onto adjacent property, but we claim it.