Malus domestica Howgate Wonder

Why it’s special
First bred on the Isle of Wight in 1929 and named after Howgate Lane in Bembridge, this monster apple – a cross between a cooker and an eating apple - is a world-beater. Weighing in at 3lb 11oz, with a circumference of 21¼ inches, the Howgate Wonder entered the Guinness Book of Records in 1997 as the biggest apple ever grown.

Where to find it
Half a dozen young trees bearing the record-breaking apple have been planted in the New Orchard at Afton Park Gardens and Nursery near Freshwater Bay in West Wight.

What else is there at Afton Park Gardens?
There are 150 mature apple trees in the two orchards at Afton. These include well-known varieties like Cox’s Orange and Bramley but a number of traditional varieties including Isle of Wight Pippin, Sir John Thorneycroft and Isle of Wight Russet are also grown. Ten matching pairs of apple cultivars, chosen as particularly suitable for organic cultivation or for their traditional interest, form an Apple Walk linking two areas of the Afton Park Gardens. These include Newton Wonder, Norfolk Royal and Peasgood’s Nonsuch. Apple juice squeezed fresh from the apples is sold in the nursery shop and at the award-winning Apple Tree Café.

Best time to see
Autumn

Find out more
www.aftonpark.co.uk
Tel: 01983 755774
Open: March-November, Monday-Saturday
9.30am-5pm; Sunday 10.30am-4.30pm
Call for latest prices
Plant sales: wide range of plants, including rare species, available to buy

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