You know an apple is truly exceptional when despite its quirks it is widely adored across several continents and becomes the national apple of a country. Gravenstein is one such exceptional apple. This diva could be faulted for being strong willed (vigorous), choosy (triploid), and fleeting (short fruit storage), however Gravenstein either makes these traits a strength or makes up for them in other ways. This heritage apple was well-loved throughout North America throughout the first half of the 1900s. It’s well balanced sweetness and ‘spicey’ flavours are enjoyed greatly for both fresh eating and cooking. Unlike many early-season variety, Gravenstein stands out as crisp, juicy, and fine-grained in texture. While it will keep for less than 3 months in cold storage, Gravenstein extends it season by ripening apples individually over the course of several weeks, prolonging how long it can be enjoyed. As a triploid variety Gravenstein needs a bit of extra company to produce a good crop. It’s looking for two different pollination partners (able to pollinate each other and Gravenstein) or a single self-fertile compatible pollination partner. So this social butterfly will flourish in a crowd but is not recommended as a solo backyard tree. Gravenstein is fond of crab apples for pollination and from our catalog would benefit from a Gala companion. Paten Greening (who’s parent Duchess of Oldenburg is a known compatible apple) or Kingston Black are two additional good choices. This vigorous heirloom tends to become quite large and live long. It leans towards biennial bearing if the fruit isn’t thinned following petal drop. As a partial tip-bearing variety you’ll find a number of fruit develop on the tips of previous years shoots, as well as some spurs along branches. Tip and partial-tip bearers aren’t great choices for restricted forms such as espalier, as yields will be lost when pruning to maintain the form. Gravenstein will also work hard to outgrow a restricted form. Parentage Unknown origin, arrived in Denmark in 17th century - where it is the national apple. In story, a scion was collected by a Danish count from a French monastery and grafted onto an apple tree at his family’s palace. This apple came to Nova Scotia in the 19th century, and was considered the choicest apple by many Nova Scotians and grown on many farms throughout the province. Disease Gravenstein is fairly susceptible to disease, which again, given its popularity speaks to its exceptional qualities. References Seattle Tree Fruit Society University of California Sonoma County Master Gardeners Apple Pollination Chart Apple Pollination Chart
