Cultivar 328: Patterson

Patterson is a prairie apple from the University of Saskatchewan. It was bred from Columbia x Melba and introduced in 1960. Dr. C. F. Patterson developed it and first selected it in 1946. One source says it was first named Munro before the university released it in Patterson's memory. Prairie recommendation lists rank it among the top hardy apples and also include it for less favorable prairie districts. That helps explain its long presence in western Canadian apple literature. [S1] [S2] [S5] [S6] [S8]

Sources describe Patterson as a small to medium apple, usually about 6 cm across, and slightly oblate. Its ground color is greenish yellow to cream, with a red to orange red blush. The flesh is white, fine, juicy, and slow to brown. The flavor is mildly subacid and described as excellent. Sources repeatedly praise it for fresh eating and kitchen use. One University of Saskatchewan source called it the best quality apple. [S1] [S4] [S5] [S8]

Sources place ripening from late August to mid season. They consistently describe it as a good keeper. Storage estimates range from about six weeks to the end of November. Patterson was recommended for dessert, juice, drying, and especially cooking. Several sources call it excellent for cooking, while still good or excellent for eating out of hand. A practical weakness is that the fruit tends to drop when ripe. [S1] [S2] [S4] [S5] [S8]

The tree is described as moderately vigorous, round headed to low spreading, and often very sprawly. It has wide but weak crotches and long pendulous limbs. It bears heavily and needs annual thinning and pruning to avoid oversetting and too many small fruits. Some sources note espalier potential. Others advise strong structural training or topworking onto a stronger framework tree to reduce limb breakage. [S1] [S5]

Hardiness evidence is strong in prairie terms, though the wording is not fully uniform. Saskatchewan tables rate Patterson as hardy, and prairie recommendation lists include it for both hardier and less favorable districts. Fireblight ratings are also favorable. Sources call it resistant or give it good resistance. A 1976 note says it was suitable for zones 3B, 4, and 4A but showed injury in zone 5. That uses a different zone context than the Saskatchewan hardiness tables, so it is best read as a source specific rating rather than a clean modern zone claim. [S1] [S2] [S4] [S6] [S7]

Within the archive, Patterson matters as a named University of Saskatchewan apple that combined fruit quality with prairie adaptation. Its parentage, Columbia x Melba, places it in the standard apple line rather than the crabapple side of prairie breeding. Its long run in recommendation lists shows how highly it was regarded for quality, cooking value, and cold climate usefulness. [S1] [S3] [S5] [S8]

Summary source basis

• S1: Edible Apples in Prairie Canada
• S2: Tree fruit production for the Prairie Provinces
• S3: An index of fruit cultivars tested or developed on the Canadian prairies.
• S4: HortFactsAppleCultivars CStushnoff 1985
• S5: Patterson
• S6: hortfacts_1976_3.pdf
• S7: hortfacts stushnoff
• S8: University of Saskatchewan fruit introductions 1959-1960

This summary currently draws chiefly from Patterson, with 6 additional supporting sources linked below.

Featured source descriptions

“Flesh resists browning.”
— ^[1]

“Falls when ripe.”
— ^[1]

“H1 hardiness rating.”
— ^[1]

“Needs thinning.”
— ^[1]

Direct parent cultivars

• No direct linked parent cultivars promoted yet.

Parentage claim text

• Parentage is given as Columbia x Melba.
• Columbia x Melba.
• Listed as 'Columbia' x 'Melba'.
• Lineage given as Columbia x Melba.
• Parentage: Columbia x Melba.

Derived or downstream cultivar links

• No derived or downstream lineage links yet.

Source-story quotations

• A59-382 Patterson Columbia x Melba 1960 Mid season, slight oblateUniversity of Saskatchewan fruit introductions 1959-1960, p4
• Patterson (Columbia X Melba) Patterson (1960) ... STEdible Apples in Prairie Canada, p54
• Patterson (Columbia X Melba) Patterson (1960) ... STEdible Apples in Prairie Canada, p54
• Patterson (Columbia X Melba) Patterson (1960) ... STEdible Apples in Prairie Canada, p54

Taxonomy context: No family-tree context surfaced yet.

Related cultivars mentioned in source context