Roxbury Russet is generally recognized to be the oldest apple variety which originated in North America, and its history can be traced back to the colonial era. It is very probably a seedling of an apple variety brought over by early settlers from Europe. Although it has some tartness it is like all russets a fundamentally sweet apple. Visually the extent of russeting can vary considerably, in some seasons and on some trees, it can be extensive, whilst in other situations there may be very little.