Malus domestica 'Wealthy'
Wealthy is a dual-purpose apple with a sweet / sharp flavor, equally good for eating fresh or for use in the kitchen.
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If you do not hear from us by February you can contact us in June to pre-order for the following spring.
Wealthy is a good choice if you are in zones 4 and even zone 3 because of its reliable cold-hardiness. However it is somewhat prone to fireblight and cedar apple rust.
Advice on fruit tree pollination.
Wealthy is an important variety in the development of new apple varieties in North America. It was the first variety to be specifically developed to withstand the cold winters of the upper mid-West. It was raised by Peter Gideon, a self-taught horticulturalist living in Minnesota, who experimented with crossing cold-hardy Siberian crab-apples with regular apple varieties. It quickly became a huge commercial success, making apple-growing possible across the prairies. It also galvanised public research into cold-hardy apple breeding, and led to the establishment of a state experimental fruit farm, which eventually became the starting point of the University of Minnesota's famous long-running cold-hardy apple program.
Back in the 1860s, before the University of Minnesota's well-regarded cold-hardy apple program even existed, there was Wealthy - thought to be the first apple variety raised specifically to cope with Minnesota winters.
