Black Oxford is immediately identified by its very distinctive skin color – its green ground color is overspread with dark reddish purple and dark gray netting or “bloom”. In the days when I was selling apples wholesale, the dark color never failed to attract customers’ attention, with many people mistaking it at a distance for a plum. The skin is thick (an old local name is ‘Rock’) and the flesh is greenish white and firm with a pleasant subacid flavor. It’s one of the later-ripening apples in New England and is generally harvested in late October or early November.
It was first discovered as a seedling by Nathaniel Haskell around 1787on the Valentine farm in Paris, Maine, located in Oxford County. The original tree is said to have survived until 1907. For many years it was a popular Maine variety, probably because it stores extremely well. However, it isn’t ideal for cooking purposes, so its popularity eventually waned in favor of other multipurpose apples like Baldwin. However, in the late 1970s my friend John Bunker, the celebrated Maine fruit explorer, started to promote and propagate the apple, and thanks largely to him Black Oxford is now enjoying renewed fame. Its unique appearance and reliable productivity recommend it to home fruit growers and small orchardists alike.
I have a warm spot in my heart for Black Oxford, since it figures in one of my own orchard triumphs. Years ago, I planted a small tree at a friend’s orchard that had two main stems. Over its first winter, the snow and ice weighed down the tree so much that a branch split from the main stem. So, after some wailing and cursing, we decided to try to binding the tree back together. We tied the limb in place, slapped a lot of grafting compound around the injury, and prayed that nature would take its course and heal the break without further intervention from us.
The plan worked just as we’d hoped, and that little tree continues to grow and to produce reliable crops of beautiful medium-sized fruits almost every year.
Another reason I like Black Oxford is because of its tough skin, which some people find unappealing. My theory is that this thick skin may help protect the fruit from some common apple pests, though to the best of my knowledge the apple’s pest resistance has never been thoroughly tested.