Heritage Apples

 

Do you know a Ribston Pippin from a Keswick Codlin?

People have been growing apples for centuries – developing thousands of apple varieties, each with their own unique taste and appearance. Sadly, many of these varieties have disappeared or are very rare.


Discover more about the rich history of apples, what the RHS is doing, and how you can help too.

Explore

Discover the rich history and folklore of our apple heritage

Explore

Why are heritage apples important?

Find out about the risks to heritage apples and orchards and why we need to protect them

Why are heritage apples important?

Get involved

Find out how you can enjoy and protect our apple heritage

Get involved

Codlings, Costards and Biffins

Visit our apple exhibitions at RHS sites across the country

Codlings, Costards and Biffins

Historic apple paintings

View 200 year old apple artworks from our collections

Historic apple paintings

Learn more

Still hungry for more information? Find out where to look next

Learn more

Amazing apple facts

  • Fact 1Apples are a member of the rose family
  • Fact 2New apple leaves breaking through in spring were called ‘mouse ears’
  • Fact 3‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’ is not an old proverb. It is an American advertising slogan invented in 1904
  • Fact 4In the West Country, people used to pickle apples to keep them over the winter
  • Fact 5Apples with ‘Pippin’ in their name were originally seedlings found by chance

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The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.