Apple family

The Apple family are Applejack's relatives in My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. They are a large family of Earth pony farmers, who own apple farms all over Equestria. The Apple family are the original founders of Ponyville.

Applejack's immediate family
Though the extended family is quite large, only four Apple family members regularly appear in Ponyville: Applejack, Apple Bloom, Big McIntosh, and Granny Smith. Each of the Apple siblings' coat color corresponds to another sibling's mane color: Applejack's mane corresponds to Apple Bloom's coat, Apple Bloom's mane to Big McIntosh's coat, and Big McIntosh's mane to Applejack's coat.

Parents
The whereabouts of Applejack's parents is touched on in the episode Apple Family Reunion. At the end of the episode, the shot fades to a view of Sweet Apple Acres as two shooting stars fly through the sky. The shooting stars are meant to represent Applejack's parents according to storyboard artist Sabrina Alberghetti. Lauren Faust had previously mentioned that the whereabouts of Applejack's parents has not been planned, and that the show is unlikely to mention that they've passed away. Faust stated she wanted that to be the case.

Extended family
Applejack's extended family is introduced as "The Apple family" in the episode Friendship is Magic, part 1, when Applejack invites Twilight Sparkle and Spike to brunch. Applejack sounds off the following ponies: Apple Fritter, Apple Bumpkin, Red Gala, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Caramel Apple, Apple Strudel, Apple Tart, Baked Apples, Apple Brioche, Apple Cinnamon Crisp, Big McIntosh, Apple Bloom, and Granny Smith. Apple Cobbler, Apple Honey, Lavender Fritter, Peachy Sweet, and other ponies are also among those present, but are not referred to by name. Apple Strudel first appears in Family Appreciation Day, wearing a Bavarian hat and traditional dress.

Applejack later explains to Twilight in Applebuck Season that her relatives had all gathered for the Apple family reunion, and had been working at their own farms at the time, and were unable to lend a hoof to Applejack. However, several of them, including Apple Bumpkin, Apple Cobbler, Apple Fritter, Apple Honey, Peachy Sweet, and Red Gala, help prepare Applejack's surprise party in The Last Roundup, and Caramel Apple appears in the same episode. Applejack's aunt Apple Brown Betty is mentioned, but does not appear, in The Ticket Master. Another relative, Applejack's cousin Braeburn, is introduced in Over a Barrel. He lives in the frontier town of Appleloosa, along with many more apple farmers.

The Cutie Mark Chronicles establishes that Applejack is related to the Oranges, who Applejack calls Aunt Orange and Uncle Orange; toys refer to the latter as Mosely Orange. Apple Bloom's cousin Babs Seed is introduced in One Bad Apple, mentioning that she has a "big sis". Babs Seed never told her "big sis" but in the end of One Bad Apple Applejack makes her promise that she'll tell her "big sis" when she gets bullied for not having a cutie mark. Great uncle Honeycrisp is mentioned by Applejack in issue 3 of the comic The Return of Queen Chrysalis. Great uncle Needle is mentioned by Big McIntosh in issue 10.

Granny Smith refers to her parents and siblings as "the Smith family" in Family Appreciation Day.

The founding of Ponyville
Granny Smith recounts how the Smith family came to found Ponyville in the episode Family Appreciation Day. As nomadic "pilgrim pony folk", they traveled Equestria collecting and selling seeds and looking for a suitable place to settle down. Princess Celestia gave them the land near the Everfree Forest and while searching the forest for food, Granny Smith discovered the Zap Apples. Ponies came from all around to purchase the family's Zap Apple Jam, and Ponyville began to grow around Sweet Apple Acres.

Apple family reunion
According to Granny Smith, the Apple family gathers for a reunion at Sweet Apple Acres once every 100 moons, as shown in Apple Family Reunion. There are races, apple snacks, a hay ride around the farm, and a family photograph is taken. More names and ponies appear at the reunion; named are Granny Smith's Auntie Applesauce and cousin Apple Rose, as well as three others, Apple Dumpling, Apple Leaves, and Half Baked Apple, along with the already-established names Apple Tart and Golden Delicious. Also seen at the reunion is Hayseed Turnip Truck, who is part of the family photo and also photographed helping rebuild the barn with Big McIntosh. Absent from the reunion but present in a past family photo is "Apple Bud". Present at the reunion in at least one shot but absent from the family photo are "Apple Bottom", "Apple Bread", "Apple Slice", "Brown Sugar", Cherry Berry, Cloudchaser, "Dizzy Twister", "Dosie Dough", Fiddly Faddle, "Flounder", "Gingerbread", Golden Harvest, "Green Gem", Mr. Greenhooves, "Helia", "John Bull", "Kazooie", Lucky Clover, Meadow Song, "Pitch Perfect", "Pomegranate", "Princess Erroria", "Promontory", Shoeshine and Sweetie Drops; "Apple Bread" is photographed at a picnic table with Apple Bloom, Big McIntosh and Applejack, "Dizzy Twister" appears without her wings or cutie mark, "Princess Erroria" mostly appears without her wings, and Fiddly Faddle, "Kazooie" and "Pitch Perfect" wear parts of the same costumes as in Luna Eclipsed.

Sweet Apple Acres
Sweet Apple Acres is the family farm/orchard located near Ponyville, home to Applejack, Big McIntosh, Apple Bloom, and Granny Smith. Sweet Apple Acres has a large apple orchard, as seen in Applebuck Season. Aside from apples, corn and carrots are also grown and harvested. In Spike at Your Service, Spike counts exactly 24,567,237 blades of grass in Sweet Apple Acres.

Gallery

 * Apple family image gallery