Peaches named J.H. Hale and Baby Crawford. Black Tartarian cherries. The Winter Banana — which is actually an apple.
This is fruit with a name and a pedigree.
The 19 orchards of Capitol Reef National Park, part of the vaunted Mighty 5, were planted by the Mormon pioneer families who used to call this part of south-central Utah home. Back in 1880, it was known as the town of Fruita. Today, the park carries on the tradition with roughly 2,000 fruit trees.
“Cherries, apricots, peaches, pears, plums, apples,” said Visitor Services Program Manager Shauna Cotrell. “Occasionally, you might find a few quince trees.”
Many of Capitol Reef’s historic trees, like the century-old apricot giant Cotrell happens to be standing next to, are nearing the end of their life. That’s why the park’s groundbreaking orchard rehabilitation project has planted around 700 new trees since 2022.
To maintain the orchards in the way settlers did more than a century ago, the focus is on cultivating heirloom varieties. Many have become increasingly rare as more common varieties cornered the market.
For some, like the park’s namesake red apple, these orchards might be their last hope.
“If we lose the Capitol Reef Red here, it’s gone,” Cotrell said.
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This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aim to inform readers across the state.