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Wolf River
type: Culinary, Cider, Dessert, Pie, Sauce
summary: This large baking apple grows to between 300 and 450 grams.
identification: Very large, irregular shape, generally tending to broad, round and flat. Somewhat angular and knobbed at the crown. The skin base colour is greenish-yellow over which are blushes and broken stripes of dull red. Light coloured lenticels, many of them are russeted and can be felt above the surface of the skin. The calyx is small and closed, set in a deep and narrow basin which is usually surrounded by a lightly knobbed crown. The stem is very short and thick, set in a shallow basin. The basin generally has a prominent fleshy protuberance and can be lightly russeted.
characteristics: The flesh is white tinged with yellow, coarse grained and soft. Juicy, aromatic and decidedly tart.
uses: Primarily a cooking apple, but fairly flavourful fresh off the tree. Keeps its shape when baked. Makes excellent pies, sauce, and dumplings. Often used for the sharp ingredient in American style cider.
origins: The original tree was grown on the shores of the Wolf River in Fremont, Wisconsin (U.S.A.), from the seeds of a bushel of Alexander apples which William Springer bought along the way from Quebec (Canada) to his new home in the American Midwest in the 1860s. The Wolf River apple came from one of those seeds and is speculated to have been an Alexander seedling. It was first mentioned in print by the Wisconsin State Horticultural Society in its Transactions of the 1875 annual meeting. In Charles Downing's 1883 revision of Andrew Downing's "The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America," it is described as "A new, large, handsome apple, the tree of which was grown by W.A. Springer and disposed of before fruiting to the late Henry Riflen near the east bank of Wolf River, Fremont, Wis.; supposed to be a seedling of Alexander which it somewhat resembles."
cultivation: Vigorous, spreading tree with drooping branches. Bears fruit on spurs. Starts to produce fruit at over six years and tends to bear the best harvests every other year. Exceptionally cold hardy.
cold storage: Keeps for up to two months, but tends to deteriorate quickly after that and is subject to bruising. Develops a greasy feel in storage.
vulnerabilities: Resistant to scab and mildew. Somewhat resistant to canker.
harvest: Ready for harvest in the early part of the fifth period.
notes: This is one of the few apple varieties which can be grown from seed with reasonable odds of similarity to the parent.
pollination group: E
pollination peak: 17
ploidism: Diploid. Self fertile but bears best crops in the presence of a source of compatible pollen.
cold storage weeks: 8
harvest period: 5
flowers: White
hardiness: 3
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