Apple country apple blossom tour & The Dogwood Trail

Press release from Henderson County Tourism Development Authority:  

The apple blossoms throughout Henderson County are in full bloom this week.  The apple trees produce gorgeous delicate spring blossoms waiting on bees for pollination to produce some of the best apples in Western North Carolina. The apple blossom varies in color according to the type of apple tree and is best recognized as white or pink.

The blooming season is a critical time to determine the size of the fall apple harvest.  A driving tour of apple orchards is the perfect way to spend a beautiful spring afternoon.

Enjoy a self-guided driving tour in and around Henderson County’s apple country view the orchards in bloom. After the blossoms disappear it takes from 100 to 200 days to reach harvest depending upon the variety.  The Henderson County apple harvest season runs from late-August through mid-October. Three self-guided driving tours are available of the apple country, ranging from 7.5 to 25 miles’ long.

North Carolina is the 7th largest apple-producing state in the nation and Henderson County is the largest apple-producing county in North Carolina and grows 85 percent of the apples in the state.  Henderson County is home to approximately 106 apple growers with an estimate of 1 million producing trees. According to Henderson County Extension Service and Agribusiness Henderson County statistics, there are about 4,000 acres of apple trees planted in Henderson County.

Peaking right behind the apple trees are the flowering dogwood trees, state flower of North Carolina. The popular dogwood tree is native to eastern parts of North America. There are several varieties of the dogwood tree, some varieties are pink in color but most found primarily in the wild are white.

The Dogwood Trail, self-guided driving tour is 23 miles of beautiful spring blossoms, historic sites and lovely neighborhoods. The optimum time of year to view the dogwood trees is mid-April.

Both tour maps are available at the Visitors Center, located at 201 South Main Street in Hendersonville or online at visithendersonvillenc.org

SHARE
About Thomas Calder
Thomas Calder received his MFA in Fiction from the University of Houston's Creative Writing Program. His writing has appeared in Gulf Coast, the Miracle Monocle, Juked and elsewhere. His debut novel, The Wind Under the Door, is now available.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.