I am on the hunt for the real Jim Bastian’s Orange Crab apple. Does anyone on this forum have access to scion of this variety? I’ve searched online and reached out to some other sources to no avail. I have heard @derekamills may have it? Please respond here if you have this variety and can share scion and more information about it - especially in regards to disease resistance and fresh eating qualities. Thanks!
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Would be interested to hear from Derek Mills and/or any others who have grown Bastian Orange Crab as to what the true appearance is. I’ve seen that same photo, posted by someone on a deer-hunting forum who had gotten scions from Jim Bastian just before he moved to MI from his NH home.
Many years ago, Jim had sent me a box of apples from the tree, but I remembered them having an appearance more like Centennial crab - a yellow crab with pink blush and yellow flesh - but more rounded and denser flesh than Centennial. Jim sent scions the next year; the tree that I thought I had grafted with scions Jim supplied has thin, willowy growth(on Dolgo seedling), and produces fruits similar to those I remembered (see pic, below)… the tastiest apples I have ever eaten. But… more and more, I’m being persuaded that what I have is actually ‘Trailman’… though I don’t ever recall anyone sharing Trailman scions with me.
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The owner of Maple Valley Orchards got back to me (super nice guy) and said he has two trees of BOC that he got scion from Derek Mills that are growing but are young and he hasn’t checked if their fruiting yet but if they are he will be able to confirm they’re the real deal. If so, he would be a source for scions.
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My Bastian Orange grafts had a few fruit this year and they are ripening now. The small apple has a really good taste. It doesn’t matter to me what it’s true variety is other than to just satisfy my curiosity. At my location near central AL it has been ripening for a couple of weeks. I have been snacking on them while I do my morning walk through. Thanks @Lucky_P
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Does it resemble the picture of the BOC?
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Bill, did you get your BOC scions from me?
If so, it was probably before i started questioning what i had… which may Trailman.
Seems like we had a similar situation some years back, where someone was discussing Craven Crab, grown from scions provided by the late Joyce Neighbors, which was producing a green apple, but a niece of Mr. Craven logged on too say the the true Craven Crab was a red appl.
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I’ve posted this photo before. @Lucky_P sent me the scions. But like he said, he’s got his doubts about what it really is.
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Hello, I have grown what I call Bastian’s Orange Flesh for almost 20 years after Jim Bastian sent it to me. He said he found it growing wild out in some woods in New Hampshire.
It does not really look like the above pic. I have attached a pic below, unfortunately I had taken a bite out of the apple.
From my notes on my varieties that I send out about scions:
“New Hampshire - Crab apple with bright florescent orange flesh. Found growing wild on an abandoned farm in New Hampshire by Jim Bastian of www.yankeeapple.com Great bittersweet flavor for cider. Ripens late August.”
Now Jim no longer does anything with his yankeeapple.com web site but he used to make and sell metal labels.
I think it has a great bittersweet flavor but is also sweet enough to eat fresh. When Jim first sent it to me to grow and see how it did here in Ohio I asked him what he was going to call it and he said he had not thought of anything so I said well you found it I am going to name it after you. Typically bears a good crop every year and we have made hard cider with just it and blended with other varieties.
At one point Jim told me he thought the trees had huge leaves but I have not never really noticed that attribute.
I do sell and swap scions and grow 1,900 varieties of apples so send an email
to me at derekcs2005@aol.com if interested.
Derek Mills
Hocking Hills Orchard
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It looks like the pictures posted above.
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Yes, I got the BO scions from you. The two things about this apple that I like is that it ripens very early and that it tastes so good. I still have a couple of small limbs of Craven and I appreciate the information you provided about it.
Now this looks different than Trailman…
Does it? Fits the description pretty well
About the size and shape of an poultry egg, somewhat larger if the tree is pruned for size. Base colour is gold over which is a reddish brown wash on the sun-exposed face. The stem is very slender and long. Very thin skin.
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SMC’s pic looks very much like my Trailman fruit
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Here’s a pic of fruit from my tree, picked at same time as the photo of the tree in fruit; photo taken on 8 July 2021. This year’s crop looks to be ripening in the same window.
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Now THAT looks like Trailman to me. Such a mystery…
I grafted a Scion from fedco a few years ago. Tree is small but loaded with green golf ball sized fruit. I’m excited to try it.
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They look pretty similar to me.
That looks a lot like my Trailman, which is more egg shaped than Bastian Orange. And that makes the whole mystery even stranger since you were the one who sent me my “Bastian Orange” scions. But your fruit pics and my fruit pics aren’t adding up.
Fedco offered Bastians Orange at some point?
As far as I’m aware, Jim distributed scionwood to a few interested NAFEx members, but Derek Mills is the only person I’ve ever seen offering scions for sale.
I keep meaning to place an order, but always forget until it’s too late.
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