A standard quince cultivar since the late 1800 s. Originated in the United States about 1870. Fruit: intermediate shape between apple and pear; large, up to 720 g (24 oz.); skin yellowish green; flesh white to yellow, almost as tender as apple; slightly astringent; ripens in midseason, generally October in Northern latitudes; later than Orange; keeps very well. Tree: vigorous, larger and taller than Orange, cold hardy, precocious, very productive; may not mature in regions with short season. - Brooks and Olmo Register of Fruit and Nut Varieties 'Champion' is one of the three or four standard varieties of American quinces, having to recommend it the following notable characters: The fruits are very large and handsome, with flesh almost as tender as that of an apple, delicate in taste and odor, which are imparted to any other fruit with which the quinces are cooked. The trees are large and vigorous, bear young, and are very productive. The fruit ripens late and keeps long. In the North, the quinces do not ripen in short seasons, and the color is often too green for best appearance. Champion is of American origin, its history dating back to about 1870. - Tree vigorous, productive, early in bearing. Fruit large or very large, obtuse-pyriform, smooth or faintly ribbed; stem set obliquely in a slight depression; basin deep, narrow with deep narrow furrows; color greenish-yellow; pubescence very heavy; core large, open; flesh pale yellow, juicy, but firm, not spongy like that of 'Orange', slightly astringent, aromatic, mild subacid; quality good. -- U.P. Hedrick, Cyclopedia of Hardy Fruits, 1922.