10/23/2026
There is nothing quite like the ‘Black Oxford.’ It has a beautiful dark red to purple skin that makes it appear ripe much earlier than this late season variety is truly ready.
It dons an almost plum like appearance when viewed from afar. The flavors keep developing in storage, as it is an excellent long term keeper.
Records show the origins of this apple date back to 1790, when Nathaniel Haskell discovered the seedling on the farm of Valentine, a nailmaker in Paris, Maine. An exceptionally long lived variety, the original tree was still standing in 1907. It had almost been forgotten until 1979 when a farmer named Ira Proctor brought some to sell to John Bunker, who at the time was managing a small co-op in Belfast , Maine. It became a fast favorite of his, and is now one of ours as well.
