Taxon ID: 1
Usage Facet: class=edible; edible_score=1.0; ornamental_score=0.0; inferred_from_taxon=yes
Relationships: 2 | Linked Entities (visible): 1 | Evidence claims: 28 | History events: 4 | Catalog issue offerings: 0
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Evidence Badge: supported | claims=28 | sources=6 | contradictions=0
Claim Types: description_snippet:5, flavor_profile:3, fruit_size:3, breeding_cross:2, fruit_color:2, rootstock_compatibility:2, selection_origin_reference:2, culinary_use:1, growth_habit:1, recommendation_context:1, source_reference_abbreviation:1, storage_duration:1 | Open evidence summary JSON | Open citation drawer JSON
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Jonathan is a dessert apple of Malus domestica. It was long treated as a major American commercial variety and was prized in the West for fresh eating quality.[S3] [S7] Sources place its origin at Kingston, New York. One pomological account says it is evidently of the Spitzenburg type and may be a seedling of Spitzenburg, rather than giving firmer parentage.[S7] In prairie and northern breeding work, Jonathan was valued less for hardiness than for what it could contribute: red color, high quality, and the flavor breeders hoped to carry into much hardier apple and crabapple lines.[S1] [S6]
The fruit is described as medium and roundish oblong to somewhat conical, with a smooth surface and a clear light yellow ground color nearly or wholly covered by brilliant dark red on the sun side and mixed or striped with lighter red on the shaded side.[S7] Its flesh is white, very tender, juicy, spicy, aromatic, and sprightly subacid. One classification source simply calls the flesh excellent.[S7] [S7] A prairie reference reduces its broader reputation to a few words: a leading USA commercial apple.[S3]
Jonathan's northern limitation is winter hardiness. South Dakota sources state plainly that it is not hardy enough to endure South Dakota winters on its own roots or as ordinary budded or root-grafted stock. Another bulletin says it is not hardy in northern Iowa, Minnesota, or the Dakotas.[S4] [S7] Those same sources note that it may survive and bear when top-grafted onto established hardy trees or hardy stocks, especially in favorable sites.[S2] [S4] [S7] South Dakota nursery and restriction lists also mark it as not dependably hardy even in the state's favored areas.[S5]
Jonathan also has a clear place in hardy fruit breeding history. South Dakota breeders used it extensively because it transmitted red color and superb quality, with the explicit goal of combining Jonathan size, color, and flavor with full Siberian crab hardiness.[S1] [S6] It appears as a parent in hardy breeding lines such as Watopa and in reported crosses with crabapple material including Silvia Crab and Irkutsk selections.[S1] [S6] Those records show Jonathan's importance as breeding stock, not evidence of its own parentage.[S1] [S6]
Its exact parentage remains uncertain. The provided sources give an origin and a possible connection to Spitzenburg, but not a settled direct cross.[S7] The packet also does not provide a solid ripening or storage statement for Jonathan itself, even though its flavor, color, and dessert quality are described well.[S7]
Summary source basis
This summary currently draws chiefly from A Study of Northwestern Apples, with 7 additional supporting sources linked below.
Featured source descriptions
“The breeding aim suggested is to obtain the full Jonathan flavor with somewhat smaller fruit size.”
— [7]
“Jonathan is credited with contributing both size and color to the fruit.”
— [7]
“Some of the better varieties such as Delicious and Jonathan which are not hardy enough to endure South Dakota winters when propagated as budded or root-grafted stock”
— [5]
“Not hardy enough to endure South Dakota winters when propagated as budded or root-grafted stock.”
— [8]
Direct parent cultivars
Parentage claim text
Derived or downstream cultivar links
Source-story quotations
Taxonomy context: No family-tree context surfaced yet.
Related cultivars mentioned in source context
Zone assertions are structured rows. Hardiness claim text appears in evidence claims and page-linked citations.
| Zone Min | Zone Max | Zone Text | Assertion Type | Outcome | Location | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| narrative_observation | mentioned | South Dakota | 0.76 |
No linked media assets.
| Document | Title/URL | Rights | Claims | Relationships | History Events | Pages | Snippets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | A Study of Northwestern Apples | unknown | 11 | 0 | 0 | p62 p141 | Flesh quality noted as excellent.; Cells described as obovate with flesh rated excellent.; Cavity acute, deep, regular with stellate russet; stem long and slender; basin deep, smooth, abrupt, wide; calyx small and closed |
| 11 | Northern Plant Novelties for 1944 | unknown | 2 | 2 | 4 | n/a | Jonathan apple x Irkutsk; Jonathan x Silvia crab; relationship: offered_by_candidate_nursery; relationship: cross_parent |
| 139 | Planting time, 1950 / Alpha Nursery | unknown | 5 | 0 | 0 | p7 | Listed for November to February.; Tree described as spreading and slender and bearing early.; Described as juicy and excellent.; Fruit nearly covered with brilliant stripes of lively red. |
| 3 | Edible Apples in Prairie Canada | unknown | 4 | 0 | 0 | p39 | Listed as a standard apple (standard apple, fruit 5 cm diameter or more).; Marked ST, expanded as standard apple with fruit 5 cm diameter or more.; Described as a leading USA commercial apple.; Reference cited as CGS (Br |
| 2 | South Dakota Fruit Garden (visual sample pages 9-11) | public_domain | 3 | 0 | 0 | p3 | are said to survive and produce well when top-grafted on the permanent side branches of well-formed trees that have been growing in the orchard two years or more.; Some of the better varieties such as Delicious and Jonat |
| 105 | Hardy fruits for Northern planting, trees, shrubs, 1937 | unknown | 3 | 0 | 0 | p4 | Presented as one of the principal apples on the market before Christmas.; Haralson was reported to score in the same class as Jonathan in comparative culinary testing.; Used as a comparison variety in University of Minne |
| Document | Page | Claim Type | Claim | Quote | Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 139 | p7 | storage_duration | Listed for November to February. | JONATHAN—Medium, nearly covered with brilliant stripes of lively red; very showy, juicy, excellent; trees spreading and slender; bears early. November to February. | page_block:0.90 |
| 139 | p7 | growth_habit | Tree described as spreading and slender and bearing early. | JONATHAN—Medium, nearly covered with brilliant stripes of lively red; very showy, juicy, excellent; trees spreading and slender; bears early. November to February. | page_block:0.90 |
| 139 | p7 | flavor_profile | Described as juicy and excellent. | JONATHAN—Medium, nearly covered with brilliant stripes of lively red; very showy, juicy, excellent; trees spreading and slender; bears early. November to February. | page_block:0.90 |
| 139 | p7 | fruit_color | Fruit nearly covered with brilliant stripes of lively red. | JONATHAN—Medium, nearly covered with brilliant stripes of lively red; very showy, juicy, excellent; trees spreading and slender; bears early. November to February. | page_block:0.90 |
| 139 | p7 | fruit_size | Described as medium size. | JONATHAN—Medium, nearly covered with brilliant stripes of lively red; very showy, juicy, excellent; trees spreading and slender; bears early. November to February. | page_block:0.90 |
| 105 | p4 | description_snippet | Presented as one of the principal apples on the market before Christmas. | Haralson scored in the same class as Jonathan | page_block:0.90 |
| 105 | p4 | culinary_use | Haralson was reported to score in the same class as Jonathan in comparative culinary testing. | Haralson scored in the same class as Jonathan | page_block:0.90 |
| 105 | p4 | recommendation_context | Used as a comparison variety in University of Minnesota tests for baking, apple sauce, and coddling. | Haralson scored in the same class as Jonathan | page_block:0.90 |
| 14 | p141 | flavor_profile | Flesh quality noted as excellent. | cells obovate; flesh excellent... Jonathan. | page_block:0.90 |
| 14 | p141 | description_snippet | Cells described as obovate with flesh rated excellent. | cells obovate; flesh excellent... Jonathan. | page_block:0.90 |
| 14 | p62 | description_snippet | Cavity acute, deep, regular with stellate russet; stem long and slender; basin deep, smooth, abrupt, wide; calyx small and closed with connivent segments; core closed, scarcely cla | Jonathan—Origin, Kingston, New York; this and Grimes Golden are considered the two best varieties for dessert use in the west. Jonathan is evidently of the Spitzenburg type and by some considered to be a seedling of that | page_block:0.90 |
| 14 | p62 | flavor_profile | Flesh is white, very tender, juicy, spicy, and aromatic; described as sprightly. | Jonathan—Origin, Kingston, New York; this and Grimes Golden are considered the two best varieties for dessert use in the west. Jonathan is evidently of the Spitzenburg type and by some considered to be a seedling of that | page_block:0.90 |
| 14 | p62 | fruit_color | Fruit is clear light yellow, with solid brilliant dark red on sunny side and lighter striped red on shaded side. | Jonathan—Origin, Kingston, New York; this and Grimes Golden are considered the two best varieties for dessert use in the west. Jonathan is evidently of the Spitzenburg type and by some considered to be a seedling of that | page_block:0.90 |
| 14 | p62 | fruit_size | Fruit is medium. | Jonathan—Origin, Kingston, New York; this and Grimes Golden are considered the two best varieties for dessert use in the west. Jonathan is evidently of the Spitzenburg type and by some considered to be a seedling of that | page_block:0.90 |
| 14 | p62 | rootstock_compatibility | Can be raised by top-grafting on hardy stocks between test winters. | Jonathan—Origin, Kingston, New York; this and Grimes Golden are considered the two best varieties for dessert use in the west. Jonathan is evidently of the Spitzenburg type and by some considered to be a seedling of that | page_block:0.90 |
| 14 | p62 | entry_hardiness_observation | Not considered hardy in northern Iowa, Minnesota, or the Dakotas without support; limited successful specimens exist in favorable locations. | Jonathan—Origin, Kingston, New York; this and Grimes Golden are considered the two best varieties for dessert use in the west. Jonathan is evidently of the Spitzenburg type and by some considered to be a seedling of that | page_block:0.90 |
| 14 | p62 | entry_pedigree | Described as evidently of the Spitzenburg type, and by some considered a seedling of that type. | Jonathan—Origin, Kingston, New York; this and Grimes Golden are considered the two best varieties for dessert use in the west. Jonathan is evidently of the Spitzenburg type and by some considered to be a seedling of that | page_block:0.90 |
| 14 | p62 | selection_origin_reference | Described as one of two best dessert-use varieties in the west, together with Grimes Golden. | Jonathan—Origin, Kingston, New York; this and Grimes Golden are considered the two best varieties for dessert use in the west. Jonathan is evidently of the Spitzenburg type and by some considered to be a seedling of that | page_block:0.90 |
| 14 | p62 | selection_origin_reference | Origin recorded as Kingston, New York. | Jonathan—Origin, Kingston, New York; this and Grimes Golden are considered the two best varieties for dessert use in the west. Jonathan is evidently of the Spitzenburg type and by some considered to be a seedling of that | page_block:0.90 |
| 3 | p39 | description_snippet | Listed as a standard apple (standard apple, fruit 5 cm diameter or more). | Jonathan ... Ref CGS (Brooks). Aleading USA commercial. | page_block:0.90 |
| 3 | p39 | fruit_size | Marked ST, expanded as standard apple with fruit 5 cm diameter or more. | Jonathan ... Ref CGS (Brooks). Aleading USA commercial. | page_block:0.90 |
| 3 | p39 | description_snippet | Described as a leading USA commercial apple. | Jonathan ... Ref CGS (Brooks). Aleading USA commercial. | page_block:0.90 |
| 3 | p39 | source_reference_abbreviation | Reference cited as CGS (Brooks), likely Country Guide Survey material tied to Brooks. | Jonathan ... Ref CGS (Brooks). Aleading USA commercial. | page_block:0.90 |
| 2 | p3 | rootstock_compatibility | are said to survive and produce well when top-grafted on the permanent side branches of well-formed trees that have been growing in the orchard two years or more. | Some of the better varieties such as Delicious and Jonathan which are not hardy enough to endure South Dakota winters when propagated as budded or root-grafted stock, are said to survive and produce well when top-grafted | visual_page_probe:0.90 |
| 2 | p3 | entry_hardiness_observation | Some of the better varieties such as Delicious and Jonathan which are not hardy enough to endure South Dakota winters when propagated as budded or root-grafted stock | Some of the better varieties such as Delicious and Jonathan which are not hardy enough to endure South Dakota winters when propagated as budded or root-grafted stock, are said to survive and produce well when top-grafted | visual_page_probe:0.90 |
| 2 | p3 | structured_entry_json | {"claims": [{"claim_text": "Some of the better varieties such as Delicious and Jonathan which are not hardy enough to endure South Dakota winters when propagated as budded or root- | Some of the better varieties such as Delicious and Jonathan which are not hardy enough to endure South Dakota winters when propagated as budded or root-grafted stock, are said to survive and produce well when top-grafted | visual_page_probe:0.90 |
| Year | Nursery | Catalog Issue | Relation |
|---|---|---|---|
| No catalog issue offerings linked. | |||
| Relation | Type | ID | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| cross_parent | cultivar | 198 | Silvia Crab |
| Type | Claim | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| storage_duration | Listed for November to February. | 0.93 |
| growth_habit | Tree described as spreading and slender and bearing early. | 0.94 |
| flavor_profile | Described as juicy and excellent. | 0.94 |
| fruit_color | Fruit nearly covered with brilliant stripes of lively red. | 0.95 |
| fruit_size | Described as medium size. | 0.95 |
| description_snippet | Presented as one of the principal apples on the market before Christmas. | 0.81 |
| culinary_use | Haralson was reported to score in the same class as Jonathan in comparative culinary testing. | 0.84 |
| recommendation_context | Used as a comparison variety in University of Minnesota tests for baking, apple sauce, and coddling. | 0.86 |
| flavor_profile | Flesh quality noted as excellent. | 0.81 |
| description_snippet | Cells described as obovate with flesh rated excellent. | 0.93 |
| description_snippet | Cavity acute, deep, regular with stellate russet; stem long and slender; basin deep, smooth, abrupt, wide; calyx small and closed with connivent segments; core closed, scarcely clasping. | 0.95 |
| flavor_profile | Flesh is white, very tender, juicy, spicy, and aromatic; described as sprightly. | 0.95 |
| fruit_color | Fruit is clear light yellow, with solid brilliant dark red on sunny side and lighter striped red on shaded side. | 0.98 |
| fruit_size | Fruit is medium. | 0.97 |
| rootstock_compatibility | Can be raised by top-grafting on hardy stocks between test winters. | 0.92 |
| entry_hardiness_observation | Not considered hardy in northern Iowa, Minnesota, or the Dakotas without support; limited successful specimens exist in favorable locations. | 0.95 |
| entry_pedigree | Described as evidently of the Spitzenburg type, and by some considered a seedling of that type. | 0.96 |
| selection_origin_reference | Described as one of two best dessert-use varieties in the west, together with Grimes Golden. | 0.93 |
| selection_origin_reference | Origin recorded as Kingston, New York. | 0.99 |
| description_snippet | Listed as a standard apple (standard apple, fruit 5 cm diameter or more). | 0.96 |
| fruit_size | Marked ST, expanded as standard apple with fruit 5 cm diameter or more. | 0.99 |
| description_snippet | Described as a leading USA commercial apple. | 0.97 |
| source_reference_abbreviation | Reference cited as CGS (Brooks), likely Country Guide Survey material tied to Brooks. | 0.89 |
| breeding_cross | Jonathan apple x Irkutsk | 0.65 |
| breeding_cross | Jonathan x Silvia crab | 0.65 |
| rootstock_compatibility | are said to survive and produce well when top-grafted on the permanent side branches of well-formed trees that have been growing in the orchard two years or more. | 0.93 |
| entry_hardiness_observation | Some of the better varieties such as Delicious and Jonathan which are not hardy enough to endure South Dakota winters when propagated as budded or root-grafted stock | 0.93 |
| structured_entry_json | {"claims": [{"claim_text": "Some of the better varieties such as Delicious and Jonathan which are not hardy enough to endure South Dakota winters when propagated as budded or root-grafted stock", "claim_type": "entry_har | 0.94 |
| ID | Type | Year | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 159 | selection_origin_event | Selection origin latGr yeo | |
| 158 | release_event | 1927 | Release event 1927 |
| 157 | release_event | 1942 | Release event 1942 |
| 154 | cross_event | 1944 | Jonathan x Silvia crab |