Rootstock & Scionwood

History: Dolgo crabapples originated in Russia and due to the slightly elongated shape of the fruit were named 'dolgo' which means 'long.' They were brought to the United States by N. E. Hansen around 1897.

Why We Grow It: Dolgo is a classic crabapple with a vibrant flavour, very tangy and delicious right off the tree in the heat of summer- as refreshing as lemonade! The bright red fruits are about the size of small plums. These apples are excellent for making jelly or as a unique addition to a cider blend. Along with being exceptionally cold hardy, the trees themselves are quite pretty and are often planted ornamentally.

History: Domaine apples originated in France some time before the 1900s. In the Pays d'Auge region in Normandy, Domaine is one of the 13 cultivars prized for making hard cider (included in that 13 are Fréquin Rouge and Noël des Champs, which we also have available). This apple was brought to the United States in 1949 but remains relatively unknown outside of its country of origin.

Why We Grow It:  This bittersweet cider apple is high in tannins, low in acidity, and has a medium amount of sugar. Although not great for single-variety ciders, it can be an excellent addition when used in cider blends.

For the most up-to-date information see Claude Jolicoeur's website here!

History: Douce de Charlevoix (translated from French as 'sweet Charlevoix') was discovered by Claude Jolicoeur in a Quebecois village in the county of Charlevoix in the 1990s. He has since dubbed it a 'first class early cider apple' and in 2015 a cider blend using 40% Douce de Charlevoix won a bronze medal at the GLINTCAP competition. 

Why We Grow It: This apple is quite attractive with orange-red stripes across green skin and makes an excellent juice with a notable bitter taste. In general this apple has medium tannins, some sweetness, and very little acidity. The tree itself is also quite vigorous and hardy.

History: Doyenné du Comice was obtained from a garden in Angers in the 1840s as a sapling. In 1848 it bore its first pears which were quickly noted for their excellent flavour. Throughout the 1850s this variety reached other countries such as the UK and US, and in 1894 it was deemed "the best pear in the world" by the London Horticultural Journal. Whether or not it lives up to that much praise, it is still commonly grown, particularly in France. 

Why We Grow It: It is certainly enticing to grow and eat what is considered one of the finest dessert pears. The fruit is medium in size with pale yellow skin and juicy, pale yellow flesh. It needs to ripen off the tree for about one month.

History: Duchess of Oldenburg, or Duchess as we like to call it, originated in the 1700s in Russia. It spread to other countries where it became popular, especially in Victorian England. Its popularity was so great that at one point it was used as a reference cultivar when evaluating other varieties of apples. It is also likely the parent of several other varieties such as Northern Spy.

Why We Grow It: Duchess boasts an attractive fruit that is striped and mottled red over light green. Although these apples don't store well, the flesh is soft and is excellent for pies and applesauce. The trees themselves are quite hardy and disease resistant.

History: Early Golden originated in Fonthill, Ontario where it was discovered as a chance seedling. It has since become the most popular yellow plum in Ontario. Despite its Canadian origin, this is actually a Japanese plum. 

Why We Grow It: Early Golden is a very popular Japanese freestone plum. The medium-sized fruit is very sweet with tangy yellow skin that gets a cheery red blush where the sun hits it. Medium-sized. The tree is vigorous and has a low susceptibility to black knot, although it requires careful thinning or else it will tend to bear crops every other year.

History: Egremont Russet first emerged in Britain in the early 1870s and has remained popular ever since. Even today, it is the third most common apple grown commercially in England. 

Why We Grow It: Although the russet, a thick rough skin, coating this apple can be an acquired taste, there is a reason this apple has remained so popular. The fruit itself is an attractive gold dotted with yellow and it has an excellent sweet, nutty flavour. They are delicious fresh, when used for cooking, and in ciders. The trees are known for producing good, regular crops. 

History: Elstar apples were developed in the Netherlands in the 1950s and are a cross between Golden Delicious and Ingrid Marie. This excellent combination has created what is considered one of the best Golden Delicious offspring. Fittingly, it has since become quite popular in continental Europe. Despite being introduced to the US in 1972, it has not attained the same level of popularity in North America.

Why We Grow It: Elstar is a flavourful variety, fine for fresh eating or sauce with its crisp, juicy flesh; very little acidity. The skin is distinctive, sporting a orangey-red marbled appearance.

History: Érdi Bõtermõ is a Hungarian variety of sour cherry that is a cross between Pangy and Nady Angol. It was bred by the Hungarian Research Institute for Fruitgrowing and Ornamentals and remains popular in Europe. It was brought back to the US by Michigan State University biologist Pr. Amy Iezzoni who is researching and breeding new sour cherry cultivars. It was given the name "Danube" in North America, named after the river that flows through Hungary, since it was considered easier to pronounce and spell.

Why We Grow It: Érdi Bõtermõ is unique in that it has a surprisingly sweet flavour compared to other sour cherries, making them suitable for fresh eating along with baking and preserving. It ripens early and produces large fruit that are deep red with firm red flesh. 

History: Esopus Spitzenberg was discovered near Esopus, New York in the early 1700s. Its main claim to fame is its supposed designation as Thomas Jefferson's favourite apple, a claim supported by the numerous Esopus Spitzenberg trees he had planted at his plantation Monticello. This apple was very popular in the US in the 1800s, considered one of the best for fresh eating, valuable for cooking, and a nice addition to cider blends.

Why We Grow It: The flavour of this particular variety is complex with high acid content, considered by many to be a high quality fresh-eating apple. This is helped by the attractive medium sized fruit which sports bright red skin. This variety keeps, with good flavour, until March. Despite being susceptible to just about every common apple disease, we still believe this apple is worth the extra effort and haven't had much issue growing it here. 

History: Fallawater originated in Pennsylvania sometime before 1842, possibly from seeds brought by European colonizers. At one time it was quite popular in the southern United States. This variety has over twenty different names, many of which resemble Fallawater such as Fallenwalder, while others are more fun and unique like Molly Whopper, Green Mountain Pippin, and Prim's Beauty of the West. 

Why We Grow It: No matter which name this variety goes by, you can always expect a large, attractive apple with a mildly sweet flavour. Fallawater is an excellent sauce and cooking apple and the fruit stores for a long time.  

History: Fireside apples originated in 1943 from a breeding program at the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station. They are one of nearly 30 varieties that have been introduced by the university's breeding program since it began in 1888.

Why We Grow It: Fireside stands as an icon of toughness in the world of apples, thriving in cold northern areas. But don’t let this image fool you—Fireside has a warm heart! The flesh is amazingly sweet and very juicy.

History: Florina, aka Querina, was developed in France in the 1980s at the Station de Recherches d'Arboriculture Fruitiere. Despite being developed in France, its ancestry is made up of American varieties. Since its introduction it has become quite popular in continental Europe.

Why We Grow It: One of Steph and Mouse's favourites! Florina is a wonderful all-around apple for the backyard offering both rich flavour and easy care. The sweet, crisp fruits it produces are perfect right off the tree but also keep a few months. They are also great for organic production: resistant to scab, fireblight, mildew, and rosy apple aphid.

History: Freedom was developed in a breeding program at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, New York in 1958. The goal was to create an apple that was immune to apple scab, and this particular variety was chosen from 120 other apples that were planted out from seed selected through an intensive breeding program. It was released in 1983 and given the name Freedom to represent its freedom from apple scab. 

Why We Grow It: Low maintenance, disease-resistant, vigorous, good flavour, and a good keeper... all in one apple! Freedom is the perfect variety for growing organically, for pick-your-owns, backyards, and community orchards. Large red skinned apple, similar to McIntosh in flavour with sweet, subacidic, sprightly flavour and juicy white flesh. Crunchy, fine grained flesh.

History: Gala apples are one of several varieties created by J.H. Kidd in New Zealand as part of his project to cross Cox's Orange Pippin with American varieties in the 1930s. He definitely succeeded with the Gala apple which has since become one of the most popular apple varieties worldwide and a mainstay in grocery stores. 

Why We Grow It: This apple earned its popularity with its amazing flavour, especially when eaten fresh off the tree. Although many sports with a deeper red colour have been introduced and marketed as Gala, they often come at a compromise to flavour so we offer you the original Gala with full sweet crunchiness.

History: The Geneva crabapple was developed in the 1930s in collaboration with the Ottawa Experimental Farm and the New York State Agricultural Research Station based in Ottawa. The creation of this crabapple was head by Isabella Preston who specialized in creating cold-hardy ornamental plants.

Why We Grow It: This attractive crabapple has deep maroon flesh. The tree itself is quite visually appealing, sporting red leaves and bright pink flowers in the spring. The taste is reminiscent of rhubarb and is suitable for cooking as well. As it is a low sugar/high acid juice, it is best blended with another high sugar variety for cider. It also adds a nice red hue to blends.

History: German plums are a European variety characteristic of the kind grown in central Europe. Although not much is known about its history, it is believed this variety is at least a couple centuries old. 

Why We Grow It: A juicy, freestone plum with an aromatic, sweet flavour. They are great for fresh eating and due to their drier than average nature, are great for baking into traditional German plum desserts. They keep for 2-4 weeks refrigerated, providing ample time to enjoy them fresh or find that perfect recipe. 

The photo of the plums in hand compares 4 larger Italian plums on the upper right, to 2 smaller German plums on the lower left.

History: Little is known about the history of Giant of Zagreb aside from the fact that it originated in the former country of Yugoslavia. Its country of origin suggests it was developed some time in the 20th century since the nation only lasted from 1918-1992. It was named for Zagreb, a major Yugoslavian city that is now the capital of Croatia.

Why We Grow It: The fruit of Giant of Zagreb are large with greenish-yellow skin and firm white flesh. The flavour is mild for a quince, although this isn't saying much. For those who have never tasted quince, it is a sour-raspberry flavoured experience not soon forgotten. As the flavour profile suggests, it is best used in baking, jellies, sauces (quince sauce or added to apple sauce), or candied. This is one of the hardiest varieties of quince available.

History: Golden Delicious was discovered by chance on a family farm in West Virginia and sold in 1914 to the Stark Brothers Nurseries. It has since become one of the most popular apples in North America. Since 1972, Clay County, where the apple was found, has hosted an annual Golden Delicious Festival and in 1995 it was declared the state fruit of West Virginia. Golden Delicious is also the parent of many varieties, including prominent ones such as Ambrosia and Gala.

Why We Grow It: It is easy to see why this apple is so popular with its attractive golden yellow skin and sweet, crisp cream-coloured flesh. Golden Delicious is a favourite for fresh eating, sauce, and apple butter. On top of that, it is resistant to scab, powdery mildew, and fire blight.

History: Golden Nugget was created more or less by accident when Golden Russet and Cox's Orange Pippin were crossed at the Kentville Agricultural Station in Nova Scotia in 1932. Despite being an accident, once researchers realized how flavourful this variety was they continued to raise it and eventually released it in 1964. Although a delicious apple, its small size prevented it from attaining true commercial success.

Why We Grow It: It is prized for its incredible flavour which is super sweet and tangy like a pineapple. Along with being great for fresh eating, it is also suited for cider. The tree itself boasts decent disease resistance.

History: The origins of Golden Russet are unclear, but we know it was discovered in New York in the first half of the 1800s. It may have come from the seedling of an English russet variety and could have Ashmead's Kernel parentage. It was grown commercially for some time before falling out of favour, although it has regained some popularity recently due to its strengths in cider production.

Why We Grow It:  With both lots of sweetness and acidity, Golden Russet is one of our favourites for fresh eating. The flavourful juice from these apples is also great for making cider. The thick russetted skin discourages insect damage and it is resistant to scab, canker, and powdery mildew. Its tip-bearing habit gives these hardy trees a wispy appearance.

History: Golden Spice was developed by the University of Minnesota and introduced in 1949. It has Ussurian pear (Pyrus ussuriensis) heritage, a separate species from standard European pears (Pyrus communis).

Why We Grow It: Golden Spice is a Ussurian variety with excellent cold-hardiness. The fruit is small and yellow with a sweet, spicy flavour. It is resistant to fireblight.

History: Greengage plums are a European variety that originated in Iran, although it is unclear exactly how old they are. They were introduced to England via France in 1724 by Sir William Gage, after whom they were named in English when the French labels were supposedly lost in transit. These sweet plums were later brought to North American colonies where they were grown by prominent figures such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Although they have since fallen out of favour in North America, they are still quite popular in western Europe and occasionally referenced in pop culture. Greengage plums are the namesake of The Greengage Summer, a 1958 novel and subsequent 1961 film, and are mentioned in a Monty Python sketch. 

Why We Grow It: It is a shame this plum's popularity declined in North America since it is considered a high-quality dessert fruit, possibly even the best dessert plum. Their bright green flesh is incredibly sweet and can also be used for cooking and preserving. Greengage plum trees tend to have a compact growth habit, great for anyone without a lot of space.

History: Greensleeves was bred as a cross between James Grieve and Golden Delicious by Dr. Frank Alston at the East Malling Research Station in the UK in 1966. In 1981 it received the Royal Horticulture Society Award of Merit and was released the year after.

Why We Grow It: These round, golden apples have a nice sweet/tart flavour that mellows out with maturity. They are great for making juice or cider as well as fresh eating. The tree has low vigour so it naturally stays more compact, a useful feature if you don't have a lot of space.

History: Grimes Golden was discovered on the Grimes farm in what is now West Virginia in 1832. Local legend claims that it grew from a seed planted by John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed. After its discovery, it was widely planted up until the 1930s when it became supplanted by more popular varieties such as its (likely) descendant, Golden Delicious. 

Why We Grow It: Although less popular now than Golden Delicious, many claim that Grimes Golden has a superior flavour: sweeter and with a hint of spice. The fruit is great for fresh eating and making cider, and it stores quite well. The tree is moderately resistant to fire blight and mildew.  

History: Haralson apples were developed at the University of Minnesota in 1922 and named after Charles Haralson who was superintendent of the university's fruit breeding farm. It is one of almost 30 apple varieties the university has developed in its breeding program since it began in 1888.

Why We Grow It: The skin of this variety is striped red with russet dots and the flesh is white, juicy, and of pleasant albeit mild flavour. Haralson boasts excellent cold hardiness and general disease resistance.

History: Harrow Delight, as the name suggests, was introduced from the pear breeding program at the Harrow Research and Development Center in Ontario in 1981. It is a cross between Bartlett and Purdue 80-51, making it a sibling to Harrow Sweet. 

Why We Grow It: Harrow Delight pears are green with red blush when mature. They have sweet, juicy flesh and keep about a month. The tree boasts resistance to both fireblight and scab, making it a good option for anyone looking for a more disease resistant pear variety. 

History: Harrow Diamond is one of the cold hardy peach varieties to come out of the Harrow Research and Development Center in Ontario. It was introduced in 1984.

Why We Grow It: This Canadian variety is one of the most cold hardy available and is one of the first to ripen in Ontario. The fruit is medium in size, mostly freestone but flesh does cling some to the pit, and of good flavour. Like Redhaven, it is non-browning, and it holds its shape well for canning or cooking.

History: Hendre Huffcap was first recorded in England either in 1923 or 1963. The confusion stems from whether it and another variety called Lumberskull, which was recorded first in 1923, are actually the same variety. Hendre Huffcap remains a popular perry pear in England. 

Why We Grow It: This popular English perry pear has endured due to the high quality juice it produces which is great on its own and in blends. The tree bears heavily and reliably, although some thinning is recommended since the branches can break under the weight of its own crops.