A long-lost apple rediscovered – Rymer

For many years the variety ‘Rymer’ was thought likely lost.  That was a pity because it was highly regarded in the nineteenth century.  But no, it was just not recognised till Mike Porter saw samples in 1995 and later 2005; he had seen a unique combination of features first described by Thompson in 1853.   Over ten years later, DNA analysis progressively enabled four more old trees in England and Wales be recognised.  However, there remained only the physical identification of an apple of fairly variable appearance and historic literature that is similarly rather inconsistent: good but possibly not beyond all reasonable doubt.

Early this year Ainsleigh had contact with a cider maker in Braidwood, New South Wales, Australia.  Yes, Gary had ‘Rymer’ growing in his orchard, he’d grafted it from an old tree in a nearby farm.  Upshot was that Gary has confirmed from the former farm owner who remembers his parents regrafting trees in the 1950s from the original farm orchard dating back to about 1870, and that he remembers they were known as ‘Rymer’. DNA from leaves showed they are the same as in England and Wales.  To cap it all, separately the US Department of Agriculture received scionwood named ‘Maharaji’ from Srinagar, Kashmir, in 1979 which recent DNA has shown is ‘Rymer’ – dating back to its likely introduction by colonial British Officers .  All eight sets of DNA matched.  Furthermore, very recently Nick Howard and colleagues have used more sophisticated DNA analysis and shown that ‘Rymer’ paired with ‘Northern Greening’ are parents of the well-regarded varieties ‘Annie Elizabeth’ and ‘Newton Wonder’ and that they are both either a parent or grandparent(s) of the much loved ‘Bramley’s Seedling’.

Mike was so pleased that ‘Rymer’ is available and can now be recognised.  It is a super cooker.

See a full description of the physical characteristics of the apple in Rymer – A477 – Registration Request 2025 revised 29Nov25.pdf (2 pages) and the full evidence presented to the UK’s expert pomologists at the University of Reading on 18th November 2025 in Rymer – Full Story & Evidence Presented pdf (108 pages).

Or see the Summary of the Evidence Presented pdf (1 page).

Further information about the University of Reading Meeting and DNA analysis is available at https://www.fruitid.com/#help

See the article in the Herefordshire Times.