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Cultivar · Apple cultivar

McIntosh

Also known as: McIntosh Red

McIntosh is a cold-hardy, aromatic, red-and-green apple discovered as a chance seedling in Ontario, Canada, around 1811. A foundational North American cultivar, it is used both fresh and for sauce and is a parent of many later apples.

Dated referenceLast reviewed: 2026-07-12Updated: 2026-07-12
Illustrative diagram · AgricultureID (original)

Record

Cultivar / variety
Variety of
Apple
Botanical taxon
Malus domestica
Type
Cultivar (clonal)
Breeding method
Chance seedling
Origin
Dundela, Dundas County, Ontario, Canada
Registry status
Historical
Registries
Adaptation
Noted for cold-hardiness and well suited to cool, northern temperate climates such as northeastern North America.
Intended use
Fresh eating (dessert), Culinary / cooking (sauce)

Registry listing or variety protection is jurisdiction- and date-specific and does not by itself indicate current commercial availability, universal cultivation approval, patent status, or a recommendation.

McIntosh (often "McIntosh Red") is a Canadian apple cultivar discovered as a chance seedling by John McIntosh on his farm at Dundela, in Dundas County, Ontario, around 1811. He found seedling trees while clearing land, and one proved outstanding; it was later propagated by grafting and popularized through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

The cultivar is known for tender, white, juicy flesh, a tangy sweet-tart "vinous" flavour, and marked cold-hardiness, which made it important across northeastern North America. It is also a foundational breeding parent, appearing in the pedigrees of cultivars such as Cortland, Empire, Spartan, and Macoun. It is propagated clonally by grafting.

Origin and history

John McIntosh discovered the original seedling on his Ontario farm around 1811. His family began grafting and distributing the tree from the 1830s, and the cultivar spread widely across Canada and the northeastern United States, where its cold-hardiness suited the climate.

McIntosh became one of the most important apples of northeastern North America and a heavily used breeding parent, contributing to cultivars including Cortland, Empire, Spartan, and Macoun. Its many descendants share aspects of its tender texture and aromatic flavour.

Fruit and eating quality

  • Skin red and green, often with a whitish bloom; tender and easily bruised
  • Flesh white, tender, and juicy
  • Flavour aromatic and tangy, sweet-tart and "vinous"
  • Softens relatively quickly in storage and tends to break down when cooked, suiting sauce

Cultivation notes

McIntosh is valued for cold-hardiness and is well suited to cool, northern temperate climates. It is an earlier-season apple that does not keep as long as late cultivars, and its tender skin and flesh make careful handling important. As always, storage life and quality depend on rootstock, harvest timing, and post-harvest management.

Relationships

Evidence-backed connections in the knowledge graph.

Adapted to climate

Adapted to soil

Scope & limitations

Geographic scope: Overview centred on northeastern North America, where the cultivar is traditionally important. Behaviour depends on region, rootstock, and season.

  • The earliest history of the original seedling is drawn from family and horticultural records and is partly traditional.
  • McIntosh softens and loses quality faster than late-storing cultivars, so eating quality is sensitive to harvest timing and storage.
  • Vigour and adaptation depend heavily on rootstock, which is not specified here.

Sources

This article draws on the following authoritative sources. See our sources & methodology for how they are selected.

  1. [1]GRIN-Global / National Plant Germplasm System (opens in a new tab)

    USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS)

    Authoritative

    Cited for: Cultivar/germplasm record and placement within Malus domestica

    Type:
    Official registry
    Jurisdiction:
    United States / Global
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12
  2. [2]GBIF — Global Biodiversity Information Facility (opens in a new tab)

    Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)

    High

    Cited for: Taxonomy of the parent species Malus domestica

    Type:
    Reference database
    Jurisdiction:
    Global
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12
  3. [3]NCBI Taxonomy (opens in a new tab)

    U.S. National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI)

    High

    Cited for: Scientific name and classification of Malus domestica

    Type:
    Reference database
    Jurisdiction:
    Global
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12

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