Alexander. A variety of good-looking, large, red-flushed blushed, dual-purpose apple with white flesh from the Ukraine, known in the 1700s. It was introduced commercially into England in 1805 by James Lee of a nursery in Hammersmith and sent on to Massachusetts in 1817. Cooks to a lemon-coloured purée. This mid-season variety is picked from mid-September in South-East England and has poor storage properties though may be eaten until late October. In the United States it is picked from August. Many apples were taken from Russia to various northern parts of the world in the early 1800s to see if they would be cold hardy.
