Jonathan is a classic 19th century American apple variety, noted for its high quality flavour. It rewards being eaten fresh between October and Christmas, but is a good keeper and a good variety for the kitchen.
Jonathan apples were exported to England in the Victorian era, and the 19th century English pomologist Robert Hogg rated it as "a very fine dessert apple".
Next deliveries: December 2025
Let me know when Jonathan apple trees are back in stock.
If you do not hear from us by March you can contact us to pre-order for next autumn.
Jonathan is often considered to be fully self-fertile, but in practice cropping is greatly improved if there is another different variety nearby to pollinate it.
The main challenge with growing Jonathan is its poor disease resistance. Don't let the extensive list of disease susceptibility put you off, in reality the situation is not quite as bad as it looks, and it is worth a bit of effort to get such excellent flavour. However it is perhaps not a good idea to rely on Jonathan as your only apple tree!
According to the Victorian pomologist Robert Hogg, Jonathan was found on the farm of Philip Rick of Kingston, New York, in the early 19th century. It is thought to be related to Esopus Spitzenburg. However as with many old varieties there are plenty of stories surrounding its origins. Visually and in terms of the quality of flavour, the relation with does Spitzenburg seems likely.
Jonathan's excellent flavour and good keeping qualities have led to it being used in many breeding programmes.
