Crimson Beauty

Crimson Beauty (originally Early Scarlet, sold commercially as Early Red Bird) is a cold-hardy apple cultivar developed by Francis Peabody Sharp in New Brunswick, Canada. It is an all-purpose variety suitable for fresh-eating and cooking.

Crimson Beauty
Genus	Malus
Species	Malus pumila
Hybrid parentage	'New Brunswicker' × 'Fameuse'
Cultivar	'Crimson Beauty'
Marketing names	Early Red Bird
Origin	New Brunswick, Canada

After settling on the New Brunswicker to serve as the base for his hybridization experiments, Peabody Sharp started to work on developing cold-hardy apple cultivars. He developed the Crimson Beauty by crossing the New Brunswicker with the Fameuse, a variety popular in Quebec at the time. This made the Crimson Beauty the first true hybrid apple created via intentional, controlled cross-breeding.^[1]

Early in the 20th century, the Stark Brothers Nursery acquired the rights to the Crimson Beauty, and began selling it commercially under the name Early Red Bird.^[2]