Ben Davis Apple Tree

Re: the origin ... this is from "A Life of Apples": Although the origin of the Ben Davis is somewhat murky, the most commonly accepted history is that its story began in Kentucky in the year 1799. That year, William Davis and John Hills left Virgina for Kentucky and settled near Davis' brother, Cpt. Ben Davis in Berry's Lick, Kentucky. Shortly after, Hills traveled back east to either Virginia or Carolina and returned with some young apple seedlings. Some of these were planted on the land of Cpt. Ben Davis and root shoots from one of these trees was later used to plant a small orchard. The apples in this orchard began to draw attention and as they gained recognition as a noteworthy variety, suckers from the original Davis orchard were planted around Kentucky and Tennessee. The apple found its way further north when the Hill Family moved to Illinois, taking trees with them to plant at their new home. By 1865 millions of Ben Davis trees could be found throughout the United States, especially in its southern reaches. By 1893, Stark Bro's was looking for something to replace it because it just plain didn't taste that great, despite its cold-hardiness and keeping ability, so we solicited samples for an International New Fruit Fair and discovered the Red Delicious apple. The rest, they say, is history. :-)

I think you might have your stories mixed up. Ben Davis originated way back in the 1800s, before Red Delicious was ever discovered. It is not a rare apple tree; it is less common than it used to be, when it was the most widely grown apple in America, but it can still be found in a number of places, including at Stark Bro's.

There are dozens - the better among them are: Blondee, Braeburn, Cortland, Freedom, Cox's Orange Pippin, Gala, Jonafree ... make sure your choice is suitable for your growing zone.

You can grow almost anything in a container! This excellent article will answer your questions and provide good advice. Please see "Growing Fruit Trees in Containers" //www.starkbros.com/growing-guide/article/fruit-trees-in-containers-pt1

Yes the Golden delicious is a good common pollinator.

Unfortunatley I cannot answer this with confidence. We recommend reaching out to your local county extensions office for their recommendations.

Yes the bloom times will match so pollination can occur,

If your order arrives before you can plant, please see this article for delayed planting instructions.
https://www.starkbros.com/growing-guide/article/how-to-delay-planting

We appreciate you reaching out to us. We use several different rootstocks, depending upon the desired result and what is available. For that reason, we're unable to guarantee a specific rootstock.

If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to reach back out to us. Have a great day!

It is an outstanding apple for fresh eating, and good in cooking, especially in pies, as its flesh holds up well when cooked