Adam’s Pearmain is a traditional dessert apple that was popular in Victorian times; it is particularly suitable for the colder and wetter areas. Its name comes from the gardener Robert Adams who presented it to the London Horticultural Society in 1826 and from its slightly conical “permain” shape. Its parentage is uncertain, and likewise its origin, reported as from Norfolk – it is also known as Norfolk Pippin – or Herefordshire where it was known as Hanging Pearmain. Its flavour is comparable to that of Egremont Russet, with a hint of nut, and relatively dry flesh. The red-yellow skin with lenticel spots is accompanied by some russeting on the shaded side of the apple. The fruit ripens by mid-October and it keeps well. It is possibly a triploid or partial triploid, with a fairly large apple size. However it doesn’t show the vigorous tree growth typical of most triploids. Adam’s Pearmain crops well and has good disease resistance, above all to scab. It is a good tree for the garden, with attractive flowers. It is in pollination group C and it is self-sterile, so it needs a pollinator.
View the Apple Pollination Chart to find suitable pollinators.
