Description
Wealthy is a fragrant red heirloom variety with wide red striping. Its white flesh, sometimes stained with red, is sweet, crisp, and juicy, and tart with a hint of strawberry. Its skin tends to be tough. Wealthy is a good pie, sauce, and cider apple. Harvest is early August to mid-September.
Discovered: 1861, Minnesota
Parentage: Cherry Crab x unknown
Harvest: Midseason
History
Minnesota farmer Peter Gideon grew the first Wealthy from seed of Siberian Crab in 1861 and named it after his wife, Wealthy (Hull) Gideon. A century ago, Wealthy was one of the nation’s five most popular apples, as well as a prized New England variety. It was a profitable apple due to its large size, it could survive cold New England winters, it produced consistently, and it kept well in storage. Its popularity was also due in part to Dr. Thomas H. Hoskins (1828-1895), physician, horticulturist, writer, and first American orchardist to plant and promote McIntosh. He tested Wealthy for cold-hardiness and promoted it in his many horticultural papers and articles.
