Gravenstein
apple cultivar
Gravenstein (Danish: Gråsten, meaning "graystone", after Gråsten Palace) is a triploid apple cultivar that originated in the 17th century or earlier. The fruit has a tart flavor, and it is heavily used as a cooking apple, especially for apple sauce and apple cider. It does not keep well, and it is available only in season. This is in part because neither cold storage, nor regular controlled atmosphere keeps the apples' distinctive aroma, although the Nova Scotia Fruit Growers' Association states that "recently however, low oxygen CA storage has shown promise in retaining this harvest-time quality".
Description and growing conditions
The Gravenstein plant is a triploid; it requires pollination from other trees, and is a poor pollinator of other apples. The short stems and variable ripening times make harvesting and selling difficult.
The skin of the fruit is a delicately waxy yellow-green with crimson spots and reddish lines, but the apple may also occur in a classically red variation. These red apples, known as Red Gravensteins, are sports, which are genetically similar to Gravenstein, so they are not good pollinators for it, and nor is it for them. The flesh is juicy, finely grained, and light yellow.
Gravenstein trees are among the largest of standard-root apples, with a strong branching structure; the wood is brownish-red and the leaves are large, shiny, and dark green.
The public source identifies “Gravenstein” as apple cultivar. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Gravenstein, apple and cultivar.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Gravenstein”, the useful work is to connect “apple cultivar” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 14, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q489226. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Gravenstein”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Gravenstein primary sources, Gravenstein archive and Gravenstein research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Gravenstein”?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Gravenstein” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.