Apple Variety Testing at Highmoor Farm

Apple tree at Highmoor FarmHighmoor Farm is UMaine College of Earth, Life, and Health Science’s fruit and vegetable research facility in Monmouth. Our goal is to conduct applied research for the fruit and vegetable farmers of Maine and provide educational resources for Maine agriculture to remain competitive.

At Highmoor Farm researchers routinely evaluate apple, berry, and vegetable varieties for important horticultural traits and for disease resistance. Some of the better apple varieties are shown here with the parentage listed in parentheses. If parentage is unknown, it is listed as a chance seedling.

If you would like to learn more about apple production and growing apple trees in Maine, visit the UMaine Cooperative Extension Highmoor Farm website. For more information about the college’s research farms visit the Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station website.


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Apple Variety Apple Description
Un-named apple varietyUn-named Selection From British Columbia.
Sweet flavor and firm texture. Ripens in late October
apple variety BrockBrock
(Golden Delicious X McIntosh)
Bred at the University of Maine.
Sweet and juicy. Ripens in early October.
apple, Creston varietyCreston
(Golden Delicious and NJ 381049)
From Summerland, British Columbia. Large apple with sweet flavor. Bicolored mottled red and golden skin. Ripens in mid-October.
apple, variety EnterpriseEnterprise
(PRI 1661 X PRI 1661-1)
Large, dark purple with a very tart flavor and dense texture. Disease resistant. Ripens in mid-October.
apple, variety FortuneFortune
(Red Spy X Empire)
From Cornell University. Large and dark purple. Ripens in late October.
apple, variety GingergoldGingergold
(chance seedling)
Sweet-tasting apple from Virginia. Ripens in early September.
apple, variety HoneycrispHoneycrisp
(unknown parentage)
Bred at the University of Minnesota.
Very crisp and tasty with a bright red color. Ripens in late September.
apple, variety ShizukaShizuka
(Golden Delicious X Indo)
Large, golden apple from Japan.
Sweet in flavor with a crisp texture. Ripens in mid-October.
apple, variety Snow SweetSnow Sweet
(Sharon X Connell Red)
Bred at the University of Minnesota. Large red apple with a pleasing sweet flavor. Ripens in mid-October.
apple, variety Zestar!Zestar!
(State Fair X MN 1691)
Bred at the University of Minnesota. Large, tart apple. Ripens in early September.

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