The apple may be the most diverse food plant in the world. A century ago, 16,000 varieties existed in the United States alone. Today, thanks to industrial agriculture, only a handful appear in most grocery stores, but hundreds of the most interesting varieties still exist, and a new apple renaissance has many making a comeback. Some have played key roles in American history. Some have languished in obscurity for decades, then swept to national dominance, only to be knocked off by the new apple on the block. Some deliver flavors no Red Delicious ever dreamed of. And some are coming soon to a market near you with brand-new taste surprises.

From the explosively crisp Pixie Crunch to the dark and moody Kingston Black, the lychee-scented King of the Pippins, and America’s oldest apple, the Roxbury Russet, Rowan Jacobsen, author of Apples of Uncommon Character, explores some of the most exotic, colorful, delicious, mysterious, and downright strange apples you’ll ever meet. Profiling some of the best and brightest, the oddballs and old veterans, Jacobsen tells the tale of the apple in America and reveals a world every bit as magical as it was over a century ago.

This Smithsonian Associates talk takes place September 30 at 6:30 pm. $20 members, $30 nonmembers. Register at https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/apples-of-uncommon-character