Grindstone

Grindstone, also known as American Pippin, was not recorded as growing in the islands, but genetic fingerprinting identified a single living tree in the ancient orchard at Camp Orkila as this variety, and it is morphologically identical to a tree that used to grow near Fisherman Bay on Lopez (and has since fallen). The Orkila orchard was planted before 1894. Before it was genetically identified we distributed scions of this apple as "small green russet".

Grindstone is described as an old American variety. It is a small, flat, green apple with obvious russetting and often a distinctly open calyx, making it resemble a pear. The apples are hard, but good flavored, and keep well. It has been considered a good cider apple.

You can view watercolors of Grindstone in the USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection (though they do not look like the Grindstone apples we have growing in the islands).