Fall. Unknown origin. This ornamental crab was mistakenly added to the Maine Heritage Orchard collection years ago. We were after the extremely rare full sized York County apple with the same name, but once this one set fruit we decided to keep it. It was too good to replace!
When the buds begin to swell in spring they are carmine red, opening up to fragrant white flowers blushed with pink. Not usually planted for its small bright orange-scarlet, long stemmed fruit, but it is surprisingly good for fresh eating. Juicy, citrusy and not too tart. Whatever you don’t eat will hang on the tree well into the winter providing nourishing treats for the birds.
Good grower with a pleasing compact ovular shape. Highly disease resistant. Blooms midseason. Z4
Narrangansett is so good. Complex crabbiness and nostalgic flavors that are sort of reminiscent of ice pops. It also has a great growth habit in terms of compactness, branch angles, and precociousness. Nice firm texture, kept well in the fridge for a few months. Highly recommend!
I traded scions with a friend that works at the Maine Heritage Orchard, my interest was peaked after seeing them share some info about the tree online & also hearing reports back from friends that tried the fruit. They sent me 4 scions in 2023 and I have just been regrafting any new growth, I have 20+ trees at this point and will be planting them out in the coming weeks. In the nursery - the leaves have been super healthy, with short internodes. It seems to flower on last years growth.
To me, Centennial tastes like apple juice. It’s a kid’s apple, very cute and oval, not a speck of bitterness or acidity. I like Wickson but can’t seem to keep them alive, so just tried grafting to 2 different rootstocks this spring. Almata is a geat tasting, pretty red fleshed apple, but doesn’t store well. I would recommend it as a niche early apple to sell to high-end restaurants or bakeries for seasonal desserts.
When we went out west this fall… in Jackson hole Wyoming… just off the main drag… near the place we stayed at (a cabin)… there was a crabapple just off the sidewalk in front of a business there.
When we walked by there were 2-3 young folks there with a small ladder and they were picking crab apples off a tree there.
It was mid September and they were just starting to ripen good. Oh man… they were delicious. They gave us a few and said pick what you want. I picked more every time we passed by.
I wondered if it might be Chestnut or some other variety ?
I was wishing I could collect some scion wood from it… the flavor was quite addicting… made me crave them.
Chestnut has become one of my favourites. Who knew it would survive our -40C temps. I find that once the weather in the fall gets cold, almost freezing, those crabs have an intense flavour.
It is on West Pearl Ave just down from Big Hole BBQ… in front of the Teton Conservation District building. This is just a short distance off the Town Square and the Elk Horn arches.
I will find a spot for a new apple tree if you can get me some scion of that.
Will be glad to send you any scion I have in trade.
These crabapples are growing along an exit ramp. Grafted as they also produce some red ones at a different time. Any ideas on variety? taste good but skin is a bit tough. I plan to collect scion this winter.
