Lord Lambourne

Why you should be excited

Lord Lambourne is a very nice English fresh-eating apple that balances strawberry-like flavour with bracing acidity.

The story of Lord Lambourne

Those eager apple breeders at England’s Laxton Brothers Nurseries had to feel good about how things turned out with Lord Lambourne.

Their goal was presumably to draw out the strawberry-like flavour of one parent (Worcester Pearmain) and combine it with the refreshing acidity of the other (James Grieve).

And by all accounts, they succeeded on both scores.

The result is Lord Lambourne, a pleasant eating apple that’s ripe in September, grows on a tree with reasonable disease resistance and crops quite well.

A winning effort to be sure and a fitting addition to the world of fine English eating apples. More than 100 years after the first Lord Lambourne tree was raised, this continues to be a good choice.

Lord Lambourne Facts

Its origins

Bred in Bedford, England; introduced in 1923.

Flavour, aroma, texture

Sweet, juicy and crisp, exhibiting a pleasant strawberry flavour balanced by brisk acidity.

Appearance

A medium-sized apple with a greenish-yellow background partly covered by a bright red flush and broken red stripes.

When they’re available

Mid-season (usually in mid-September).

Quality for fresh eating

Good.

Quality for cooking

Mainly used for fresh eating.

Quality for cider

Not particularly known for use in cider.

Keeping ability

Good (2 months when kept refrigerated).