Trees
We have attempted to categorize these apple trees by their approximate maturity dates. Apples require a 2nd variety planted nearby for pollination.
​ Summer
Looking for the first fresh fruits of the growing season? Here are some refreshing choices to beat the summer heat.
Yellow Transparent - One of the first apples to mature in the summer. A yellow skinned apple that matures in late July. Good disease resistance to scab, cedar apple rust and powdery mildew. A juicy, tender fleshed, slightly tart. Makes a great applesauce. Tree is a vigorous grower and precocious.
Lodi - An older variety that was introduced to replace Yellow Transparent, which it resembles somewhat in appearance and season. It is a good early season apple for pies and sauces, but as a dessert apple it tends to be very tart and has been known to have given many a young boy a "belly ache" when picked too early It is a better keeper than Yellow Transparent and is more firm.
Irish Peach - The Irish Peach is a handsome tree with an upward spreading habit that bears some of the best and earliest apples around. The fruit itself is of a medium size with an orange-red streaked flush over a yellowy green base, almost peach colored in appearance. The flesh is white and the taste is a good balance of sweetness with acidity. Ripens early August and it is at its best when eaten straight from the tree. Does not store especially well. Irish Peach has some resistance to woolly aphid, mildew, bitter pit and cedar apple rust making it a dependable tree and a good producer. Variety was originally discovered in the early 1800s.
Pristine - A late July maturing, yellow skinned apple. Very good disease resistance. Firm, crisp, juicy flesh for an early season apple. Keeps well. Later blooming, Precocious tree, Taste is similar to Golden Delicious. Fruit is suitable for all uses.
Redfree - A early August maturing apple. Free refers to disease resistance not color! A variety with great disease resistance. Bares at an early age. Juicy, sweet, crisp flesh. Does not store particularly well.
State Fair - An August maturing apple, Flavor is refreshing slightly tart to sweet. Juicy, yellow flesh. Good for eating or baking. Medium size with red, striped skin. Doesn't store particularly well. Tree is very cold hardy into zone 4.
Williams Pride - Skin is a deep, dark red. An early August maturing apple. Very good disease resistance. Vigorous, upright growing tree. A high quality dessert style apple.
Early Fall
Almata - A red fleshed, small to medium sized apple. On the tart side, but the red flesh makes for interesting sauce and juice.
Big Dog- A good disease resistant crabapple. Bigger than a golf ball in size. Original parent tree was growing in zone 4, so a very cold hardy variety. Great tree for providing a food source for deer.
Chestnut Crabapple - A very disease resistant "crab" sized apple. Golf ball sized apple that is juicy and sweet. Good for fresh eating or apple sauce. A great pollenizer for other apple trees. Very cold hardy tree. Matures late August into September.
Dolgo Crabapple - Matures late August into September. Excellent pollenizer for other apple trees. Excellent wildlife tree. Very cold hardy.
Gala - Ripens in late summer, early fall into September. Excellent for fresh eating. The flesh is yellowish and crisp, juicy and fine textured. It can be used for all purposes. It is almost a "must have" for the backyard orchard.
Wolf River - A very large apple. Soft, tender flesh. Excellent for baking and drying. Very vigorous, spreading form. Mid September maturity. Keeps well. Excellent disease resistance.
Liberty - A very disease resistant apple. Matures mid to late September. A sweet - tart flavor. Vigorous growing tree.
Galarina - A Gala like apple, but with improved disease resistance. Crisp, sweet flesh. Stores well. Matures in late September.
Geneva (Husker) - Red fleshed; eating quality fair; excellent for jelly. Tree: hardy; productive; annual cropping; resistant to apple scab; leaves green with reddish bronze tinge; fruits drop from tree as they ripen. Red juice, cider.
Empire - A medium size apple. Very crisp, white flesh, mildly sweet. Tree is early to bear and very precocious. Apples keep well in storage. Very hardy tree. Matures in late September. Shows good resistance to fire blight and cedar apple rust.
Hawkeye - The original "Red Delicious". This is the parent apple from which the current "Red Delicious" apples originated. A sweet distinct flavor, much more flavor than current grocery store "Red Delicious". Some resistance to fire blight and cedar apple rust. Late flowering. Late September maturity.
Honey Crisp - Sweet, juicy and very crisp. Very cold hardy. Resistant to fire blight and scab. Matures mid September. Tree is productive and early to bear.
Linda Sweet - Smaller, yellow-green apple, Flesh is sweet, semi-firm and very juicy. Early September maturity from South Dakota.
Hewes (Virginia) Crabapple - Originated in Virginia in the early 1700s. Grown by both Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. A great hard cider apple and excellent pollinator. Flesh is firm and tart. 1 1/2" diameter. Matures September.
Kinnairds Choice - Originated in Tennessee around 1855. Dark red skin if exposed to full sun. Medium to large size. Juicy, aromatic, fine grained flesh. Late September maturity. Not overly sweet.
Late Fall
Arkansas Black - A very late maturing apple, mid to late October. The fruit is dark red, almost black in appearance. Flesh is crisp and very firm with a tart flavor. Stores very well and flavor mellows in storage. This is a great variety to add in a cider blend, providing a high acid, spicy flavor. Shows very good disease resistance. Best suited for growing zones 5 and warmer.
Ashmeads Kernel - Is a medium sized, greenish yellow fruits often with a heavy brownish russet. It is usually a flattish, round apple, but sometimes it can be conical. The yellowish flesh is crisp, sweet, juicy and aromatic, but is somewhat tart when harvested in late October. It reaches peak flavor in early November. For flavor it is highly rated. It is a good cider variety and the fruit will keep for several months. Very hardy to about -40 degrees. The tree appears vigorous and early bearing.
Blue Pearmain - A uniquely colored, heirloom variety apple. Matures in mid October with a bluish haze over a deep red skin. Good disease resistance. Dense, crisp flesh with a rich while mildly tart flavor. Stores well.
Court Pendu Plat - This variety was first recognized in France in the early 1600's for its exceptional qualities. Skin is greenish-yellow becoming flushed with orange-red with short broken stripes. A good cropper with rich, aromatic fruit with a good balance of sugar and acid; the flavor further develops after harvest. Court Pendu Plat apple tree was also referred to as the "Wise Apple" since it's suitable for areas with late spring frost as it blooms very late.
Enterprise - A bright red skinned, medium sized apple. Vigorous growing, spreading tree form. Moderately tart, but mellows in storage. Stores well. Matures mid to late October. Late blooming. Trees have excellent disease resistance.
Goldrush - A very fine, high quality disease resistant golden apple with a pretty blush. It is one of the latest harvesting apples, so may not ripen properly in many northern areas. However, letting it hang as long as possible and storing for a while before eating will allow it to mellow. It is very firm, crisp and juicy. Tart at harvest it will develop a very rich, well balanced flavor after a few weeks of storage. It stores very well.
Granny Smith - Bright green colored apple. Crisp and very tart. Very late to mature and keeps well. Matures late October into early November
Nova Spy - Dark red stripes and blush over a green back ground. Fine textured flesh, very firm, crisp and slightly tart. Resistant to scab and fire blight. Matures in mid October.
Pink Lady - Vigorous growing tree, producing medium sized apples. Pink skin over a yellow back ground. Dense, fine grained flesh is crisp with a complex sweet- tart flavor. Resists browning when sliced. Matures in late October.
Spencer - A large apple, Flesh is firm, crisp and juicy. Eating quality is very good. The result of McIntosh x Yellow Delicious. Mid October maturity. From British Columbia.
Keener - A bronze colored, russetted skin. A very unique color. Small to medium sized apple. White flesh which is fine grained, juicy, and crisp. Matures in early October. Keeps well.
Tollman Sweet - One of America's oldest apple varieties. Pale yellow skin with firm, white, sweet flesh. Ripens late October.
Prairie Spy - An attractive Northern Spy-type apple. It has large fruit that are red over a yellow background. Crisp and juicy texture. It can be used for most purposes. It stores well for several months and the flavor improves with storage. The tree is very hardy, vigorous , and productive. It is a late bloomer, and suitable for frostier locations. Matures in early October.
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Yates - A smaller, very hardy late fall apple. Sweet while still slightly tart. Excellent cider apple. Stores extremely well.