Washington State University graduate student Taettin Brodzinski, who does not particularly like apples herself, has helped bring back the Walbridge variety, long thought to be extinct. In the fall, while studying the genetics of agricultural crops, she needed to find an apple leaf for DNA analysis. At Lawson Gardens near campus, Brodzinski discovered a tree bearing green fruit. Genetic testing found no match with known varieties, so she and Professor Cameron Peace continued their research. About a month later, they learned that the tree was a Walbridge apple—the “main lost variety” that specialists across the country had been searching for.
Historical descriptions characterize Walbridge as a bright red, striped apple, but that color appears only in direct sunlight. Fruit hidden beneath the leaves remains green, so the apples Brodzinski found reminded her of Golden Delicious or Granny Smith. Walbridge was once popular in Pacific Northwest orchards because of its ability to store well: it ripens in November, gradually becomes sweeter over the winter, bruises very little and retains its crisp texture when cooked. Its flavor combines the tartness of Granny Smith with the milder notes of Cosmic Crisp.
Brodzinski believes the variety disappeared from commercial orchards because it grew too quickly and vigorously. Older farmers found it difficult to maintain such trees and harvest their fruit without modern equipment. After the news was published, the WSU My Fruit Tree laboratory began receiving DNA samples from across the country, and Walbridge trees were also found in Colorado, Utah and New Mexico. The researcher is now grafting and cloning the apple tree she found, as well as crossbreeding it with other heirloom varieties. Her goal is to develop a commercially viable plant with controlled growth and consistent fruit size, flavor and quality.
Based on: WSU student finds apple variety thought to be extinct