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Over 250 specialist fruit tree varieties for your orchard or back-yard

Sweet Sixteen apple trees

$41.95
Sweet Sixteen apples
Sweet Sixteen is listed in the RHS Plants for Pollinators
  • Picking season: Mid
  • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile
  • Pollination group: 3

Sweet 16 is a sweet-flavored apple, with good cold hardiness.

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Sweet Sixteen apple trees for sale

Pre-order for delivery in spring 2027

  • 1Dwarf, 1-year bare-root tree $41.95
    Mature height: 6ft-9ft after 10 years
    Dwarf rootstock
    Out of stock
  • 2Semi-dwarf, 1-year bare-root tree $41.95
    Mature height: 8ft-12ft after 10 years
    Semi-dwarf rootstock
    Out of stock
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All about Sweet Sixteen apple trees

Sweet Sixteen is one of the best apple varieties for the north country - when grown on suitable rootstocks it is a reliable cropper in zone 4 and even zone 3.

Sweet Sixteen inherits its cold-hardiness from both its parents. Northern Spy is a well-known cold-hardy apple, and it is also descended from a more obscure north country variety called Malinda.

The bright red apples have a high quality, fruity flavor, primarily sweet but with some acidity and complexity. They keep fairly well in natural cold storage or a fridge.

How to grow

Sweet Sixteen is an easy variety to grow and very cold-hardy.

It has reasonable resistance to scab, fireblight and cedar apple rust, and is naturally vigorous.

It comes into bearing within a few years.

Advice on fruit tree pollination.

History

Sweet 16 was developed by the University of Minnesota in the 1970s. It is descended from Northern Spy crossed with a seedling of Malinda.

Sweet Sixteen characteristics

  • What level of gardening skill is needed to grow Sweet Sixteen?Beginner
  • Is Sweet Sixteen self-fertile?Not self-fertile
  • What flowering group is Sweet Sixteen?3
  • Is Sweet Sixteen good for pollinating others?Average
  • What season do you pick Sweet Sixteen?Mid
  • UsesEating freshCulinary
  • How long can you keep Sweet Sixteen in a fridge?1-2 months
  • What is the overall disease resistance of Sweet Sixteen?Good
  • How resistant is Sweet Sixteen to fire blight?Some resistance
  • Is Sweet Sixteen resistant to scab?Some resistance
  • Is Sweet Sixteen resistant to cedar apple rust?Some resistance
  • What is the USDA hardiness zone for Sweet Sixteen?Zone 3 (-40C)
  • Summer maximum temperaturesCool ( 20-24C / 68-75F)Warm (25-30C / 76-85F)
  • Where does Sweet Sixteen originate from?United States
  • When was Sweet Sixteen first introduced?1950 - 1999
  • Fruit colorRed

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