The button over at the right takes you the Orange Pippin website for descriptions of apples maintained in their data base. Below I have put together descriptions of less common apples that I am usually able to provide scion wood for. Note: Call and inquire if you are looking for a particular apple or pear not on the list, and we may be able to help you, thanks to our extensive contacts among amateur and commercial growers.
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DESCRIPTIONS OF LESS COMMON APPLE AND PEAR VARIETIES, 2017
Arlet: Ripens with Gala, also known as Swiss Gourmet, good frost resistance, slight tendency to pre-harvest drop, keeps well. Hardy into USDA Zone 2. Fruits medium to large, pleasing sweet-tart flavor, good dual-purpose apple.
Braeburn, Kumeu: Red sport of Braeburn, ripens with regular Braeburn.
Chestnut Crab: Tree size is small, excellent pollenizer for early to mid-blooming apples. Fruit size is about 1-3/4 to 2-1/4 inches, flavor sweet with no astringency, popular apple in MN for schoolchildren. Keeps about a month in refrigeration.
Carroll: Excellent eating, good also for cooking, ripens early, annual bearer, strong branching habit. Described as “the best red apple we can grow in Fairbanks, Alaska.”
Enigma: Very early ripening (late July in central MN), red, aromatic, medium to large sized round fruit, hardy in Zone 2. Although my wife dislikes summer apples, she likes this one. Flesh fine-grained and crisp. The 2007 crop held their flavor and texture till New Year’s Day in spite of poor storage conditions. Originated in Alberta.
Estivale: Late-summer ripening apple, orange-red blush over yellow ground color, conical shape, keeps for several months in refrigeration. Pleasant sweet flavor, somewhat similar to Jonagold. Tree has nice spreading growth habit; cultivar is being grown commercially in Belgium and SE Minnesota.
Frostbite (MN 447): Introduced circa 2007 by U of MN, fruit size medium, unique sweet flavor resembles tropical punch, ripens late September to early October, keeps at least 3 months. Tree is spreading to upright, vigor moderate, presumed hardy throughout USDA Zone 3.
Fuji (Yataka strain) : This widely popular eating apple survived and fruited well for me in E central MN (Cottage Grove) in a sheltered location, but it is too tender to survive cold, windy conditions on the open prairie in SW Minnesota.
Ginger Gold: Ripens early Sept. in central MN, tree is precocious, producing big yellow, sweet apples with a hint of anise that keep for about 4-5 months in common refrigeration. Flavor intense if left to ripen to bronze color on tree. Fruits hang well.
Haralson: The most widely planted apple in MN, tree is somewhat spreading, not large; fruit russets in rainy climates. Good for both fresh eating and cooking; slightly tart flesh, keeps about 4-5 months.
Harrison: Cider apple, originating in NJ. Harrison alone will make good apple cider
Hokuto: Vigorous tree, Fuji x Mutsu. Not as well colored as, but larger and just as flavorful as Fuji. Hardy in zone 4a. Excellent keeper. Triploid pollen, not a good pollenizer for other apple cultivars.
Honey Crisp: Ripe mid-late September, sweet mild flavor, fruits large and exceptionally crisp, keeping 6 months in cold storage. Fruits susceptible to bitter pit on vigorous rootstocks.
Jonamac: McIntosh x Jonathan cross from Geneva, NY, introd. 1972. Tree size is medium, upright-spreading, moderate vigor, productive, good pollenizer for early and mid-season blooming cultivars. Fruit ripens 8 days before McIntosh, is dark red, round, medium sized, flesh nearly white, moderately firm. Fruit is for dessert only, not processing. For me, it is still good eating in February. Jonamac is grown commercially in western Oregon.
Keepsake: Mother of Honey Crisp, exceptional keeper, red, medium sized to large, very dense flesh, unique sweet flavor. Tree vigor low to moderate, spreading growth habit, hardy in Zone 3 but ripens late.
Kerr: Apple-crab from Canada, hardy in USDA Zone 1, 1-1/4 to 1-3/4 inch diameter, medium sized tree, fruit tart at harvest but mellows nicely in storage, keeps till March in common refrigeration. Excellent addition to apple juice.
Kidd’s Orange Red: New Zealand cross of Cox’s Orange Pippin x Red Delicious, mother of Gala, does best in warmer climates.
Liberty: Scab-resistant, Mac-type apple, keeps about 4 months in storage, good sweet-tart flavor. Must be thinned for best size. Fruit is unusually attractive to plum curculio.
Mantet: McIntosh x Tetovsky, from Manitoba. Ripens mid-August in Idaho, fruit medium to large, yellow with pinkish-red overlay, aromatic, juicy, with strawberry undertones, keeps for about 1-2 months. Texture pleasing but not firm.
MN 1628: Quite similar in many respects to Keepsake, ripens slightly earlier, tree more vigorous, spreading growth habit. Red stripes over yellow-ocher background, with yellowish flesh, complex sweet flavor, dense flesh, keeps till late spring. Has displaced Fuji as my wife’s favorite apple.
Norson: Beaverlodge, Alberta cross of Haralson with Dolgo Crab, red fruits about 2” across, hardy in Zone 1, tree vigor is low, fruit sweet, keeps till December.
Oriole: Precocious, ripens early August in central MN. A good early-August cooking apple in MN, but an excellent eating apple in S. central Alaska, where it ripens late September. Fruits yellow, very large, up to 3-1/2 inches in Alaska, but will not keep over a month. Does best in cool climates.
Prairie Spy: Older MN apple, low vigor, somewhat spreading growth habit, late blooming, very precocious. Fruits large, somewhat flattened, good keepers, excellent for pies and OK for fresh eating. Has proven heat-tolerant in SW Idaho.
Rubinette: A Golden Delicious x Cox Orange Pippin cross from Switzerland. Tree growth habit like that of Golden Delicious, low vigor, moderately scab resistant, worth a try in Zone 3. Fruit ripens mid October, size medium, aromatic dense sweet, high-flavored flesh, very high quality. Color is dull red stripe over golden background, much russet. Fruit will keep till spring.
Shizuka: Golden Delicious x Indo cross, triploid pollen. Tree upright to spreading, moderate vigor. Fruit is large, skin yellow with pink blush, ripens late Sept. in SW Idaho. Flesh is fine-textured, complex sweet flavor, very crisp, stores till April.
Snowsweet: U of MN introduction about 2005, fruits large, crisp, very sweet and low acid, flesh is fine-grained, juicy, does not brown when cut. Ripens mid to late September and keeps for at least 4 months.
Spicy Sweet: Seedling found by my neighbor, Garfield Shults. Tree has low vigor, spreading growth habit. Fruit is yellow, conical shape, spicy sweet flavor, size medium to large, keeps well.
Spigold: Triploid cross of Northern Spy with Golden Delicious. Tree is vigorous. Fruits large, good flavor, red over yellow background.
Sundance: Large, pale yellow, crisp apples, tart when picked. Ripens October in SW Idaho.
Sweet 16: Vigorous, upright-growing tree, apples have unique, cherry-lifesaver undertones to otherwise sweet flavor if left to ripen fully on tree. Best grown on dwarf or semi-dwarf rootstocks. Fruits keep 2-3 months.
Tumanga: Tree has spreading growth habit, low to moderate vigor. Fruits large, yellow-green, sweet, crisp, ripen mid-September in SW Idaho.
Viking: Large, purple-red summer apple, sprightly flavor, best suited for areas with cool summers.
Zestar: Precocious late-summer apple, best grown on dwarf or semi-dwarf stocks because of its vigor. Fruits have a perfect sugar-acid blend, size medium to large, ripe about Sept. 1 in central MN, optimal keeping period 7 weeks but are still pretty good at Christmas.
8C-28-27: Red Delicious x Golden Delicious cross, medium vigor tree, fruit conical and red, ripens mid October, flavor is like Red Delicious mixed with Bartlett pear. Not hardy below -30F.
922 End: Somewhat spreading, yet vigorous tree as grown on Antonovka seedling in MN. Fruits are scab resistant under Wisconsin conditions. From the Prairie Farms breeding program in Alberta. Hardy throughout Zone 2. As good as Northern Spy for culinary use, tree precocity is average. Fruit goes mealy rapidly under hot conditions and must be picked slightly immature.
Arlet: Ripens with Gala, also known as Swiss Gourmet, good frost resistance, slight tendency to pre-harvest drop, keeps well. Hardy into USDA Zone 2. Fruits medium to large, pleasing sweet-tart flavor, good dual-purpose apple.
Braeburn, Kumeu: Red sport of Braeburn, ripens with regular Braeburn.
Chestnut Crab: Tree size is small, excellent pollenizer for early to mid-blooming apples. Fruit size is about 1-3/4 to 2-1/4 inches, flavor sweet with no astringency, popular apple in MN for schoolchildren. Keeps about a month in refrigeration.
Carroll: Excellent eating, good also for cooking, ripens early, annual bearer, strong branching habit. Described as “the best red apple we can grow in Fairbanks, Alaska.”
Enigma: Very early ripening (late July in central MN), red, aromatic, medium to large sized round fruit, hardy in Zone 2. Although my wife dislikes summer apples, she likes this one. Flesh fine-grained and crisp. The 2007 crop held their flavor and texture till New Year’s Day in spite of poor storage conditions. Originated in Alberta.
Estivale: Late-summer ripening apple, orange-red blush over yellow ground color, conical shape, keeps for several months in refrigeration. Pleasant sweet flavor, somewhat similar to Jonagold. Tree has nice spreading growth habit; cultivar is being grown commercially in Belgium and SE Minnesota.
Frostbite (MN 447): Introduced circa 2007 by U of MN, fruit size medium, unique sweet flavor resembles tropical punch, ripens late September to early October, keeps at least 3 months. Tree is spreading to upright, vigor moderate, presumed hardy throughout USDA Zone 3.
Fuji (Yataka strain) : This widely popular eating apple survived and fruited well for me in E central MN (Cottage Grove) in a sheltered location, but it is too tender to survive cold, windy conditions on the open prairie in SW Minnesota.
Ginger Gold: Ripens early Sept. in central MN, tree is precocious, producing big yellow, sweet apples with a hint of anise that keep for about 4-5 months in common refrigeration. Flavor intense if left to ripen to bronze color on tree. Fruits hang well.
Haralson: The most widely planted apple in MN, tree is somewhat spreading, not large; fruit russets in rainy climates. Good for both fresh eating and cooking; slightly tart flesh, keeps about 4-5 months.
Harrison: Cider apple, originating in NJ. Harrison alone will make good apple cider
Hokuto: Vigorous tree, Fuji x Mutsu. Not as well colored as, but larger and just as flavorful as Fuji. Hardy in zone 4a. Excellent keeper. Triploid pollen, not a good pollenizer for other apple cultivars.
Honey Crisp: Ripe mid-late September, sweet mild flavor, fruits large and exceptionally crisp, keeping 6 months in cold storage. Fruits susceptible to bitter pit on vigorous rootstocks.
Jonamac: McIntosh x Jonathan cross from Geneva, NY, introd. 1972. Tree size is medium, upright-spreading, moderate vigor, productive, good pollenizer for early and mid-season blooming cultivars. Fruit ripens 8 days before McIntosh, is dark red, round, medium sized, flesh nearly white, moderately firm. Fruit is for dessert only, not processing. For me, it is still good eating in February. Jonamac is grown commercially in western Oregon.
Keepsake: Mother of Honey Crisp, exceptional keeper, red, medium sized to large, very dense flesh, unique sweet flavor. Tree vigor low to moderate, spreading growth habit, hardy in Zone 3 but ripens late.
Kerr: Apple-crab from Canada, hardy in USDA Zone 1, 1-1/4 to 1-3/4 inch diameter, medium sized tree, fruit tart at harvest but mellows nicely in storage, keeps till March in common refrigeration. Excellent addition to apple juice.
Kidd’s Orange Red: New Zealand cross of Cox’s Orange Pippin x Red Delicious, mother of Gala, does best in warmer climates.
Liberty: Scab-resistant, Mac-type apple, keeps about 4 months in storage, good sweet-tart flavor. Must be thinned for best size. Fruit is unusually attractive to plum curculio.
Mantet: McIntosh x Tetovsky, from Manitoba. Ripens mid-August in Idaho, fruit medium to large, yellow with pinkish-red overlay, aromatic, juicy, with strawberry undertones, keeps for about 1-2 months. Texture pleasing but not firm.
MN 1628: Quite similar in many respects to Keepsake, ripens slightly earlier, tree more vigorous, spreading growth habit. Red stripes over yellow-ocher background, with yellowish flesh, complex sweet flavor, dense flesh, keeps till late spring. Has displaced Fuji as my wife’s favorite apple.
Norson: Beaverlodge, Alberta cross of Haralson with Dolgo Crab, red fruits about 2” across, hardy in Zone 1, tree vigor is low, fruit sweet, keeps till December.
Oriole: Precocious, ripens early August in central MN. A good early-August cooking apple in MN, but an excellent eating apple in S. central Alaska, where it ripens late September. Fruits yellow, very large, up to 3-1/2 inches in Alaska, but will not keep over a month. Does best in cool climates.
Prairie Spy: Older MN apple, low vigor, somewhat spreading growth habit, late blooming, very precocious. Fruits large, somewhat flattened, good keepers, excellent for pies and OK for fresh eating. Has proven heat-tolerant in SW Idaho.
Rubinette: A Golden Delicious x Cox Orange Pippin cross from Switzerland. Tree growth habit like that of Golden Delicious, low vigor, moderately scab resistant, worth a try in Zone 3. Fruit ripens mid October, size medium, aromatic dense sweet, high-flavored flesh, very high quality. Color is dull red stripe over golden background, much russet. Fruit will keep till spring.
Shizuka: Golden Delicious x Indo cross, triploid pollen. Tree upright to spreading, moderate vigor. Fruit is large, skin yellow with pink blush, ripens late Sept. in SW Idaho. Flesh is fine-textured, complex sweet flavor, very crisp, stores till April.
Snowsweet: U of MN introduction about 2005, fruits large, crisp, very sweet and low acid, flesh is fine-grained, juicy, does not brown when cut. Ripens mid to late September and keeps for at least 4 months.
Spicy Sweet: Seedling found by my neighbor, Garfield Shults. Tree has low vigor, spreading growth habit. Fruit is yellow, conical shape, spicy sweet flavor, size medium to large, keeps well.
Spigold: Triploid cross of Northern Spy with Golden Delicious. Tree is vigorous. Fruits large, good flavor, red over yellow background.
Sundance: Large, pale yellow, crisp apples, tart when picked. Ripens October in SW Idaho.
Sweet 16: Vigorous, upright-growing tree, apples have unique, cherry-lifesaver undertones to otherwise sweet flavor if left to ripen fully on tree. Best grown on dwarf or semi-dwarf rootstocks. Fruits keep 2-3 months.
Tumanga: Tree has spreading growth habit, low to moderate vigor. Fruits large, yellow-green, sweet, crisp, ripen mid-September in SW Idaho.
Viking: Large, purple-red summer apple, sprightly flavor, best suited for areas with cool summers.
Zestar: Precocious late-summer apple, best grown on dwarf or semi-dwarf stocks because of its vigor. Fruits have a perfect sugar-acid blend, size medium to large, ripe about Sept. 1 in central MN, optimal keeping period 7 weeks but are still pretty good at Christmas.
8C-28-27: Red Delicious x Golden Delicious cross, medium vigor tree, fruit conical and red, ripens mid October, flavor is like Red Delicious mixed with Bartlett pear. Not hardy below -30F.
922 End: Somewhat spreading, yet vigorous tree as grown on Antonovka seedling in MN. Fruits are scab resistant under Wisconsin conditions. From the Prairie Farms breeding program in Alberta. Hardy throughout Zone 2. As good as Northern Spy for culinary use, tree precocity is average. Fruit goes mealy rapidly under hot conditions and must be picked slightly immature.