Has anyone tasted the Canadian Strawberry apple? What do you think of it? I planted a tree in 2013 which died back to snowline that winter. I was going to cut it back and graft something else but it had low branches below the snow that survived so decided to let it go, training one up. It’s doing OK though growth is slow and I’m trying to decide if it’s worth it to keep it or put something (more hardy) there.
I haven’t tasted it, but grafted it last spring based on Fedco’s description:
Beautiful superb-tasting dessert apple. One of the best dessert varieties we offer. Very good early season cider. Perfectly ripe at the end of September in central Maine where, in a good year, you won’t find a better apple. In 2002 we put Canadian Strawberry up against Cox’s Orange Pippin and Chestnut crab at a Common Ground Fair taste test and it beat both of them. Surprisingly juicy distinctly tart full-flavored medium-to-large round-conic fruit. Rich buttery-yellow skin overspread with a veil of vibrant red-orange.
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Haven’t tried it, was lucky enough to get scionwood from Jesse here on the forum but it is just grafted this year. High hopes, though…
I had 13 apples on my little Canadian Strawberry tree this year. I am 60 and I can honestly say that the Canadian Strawberry is the best apple I have ever eaten. (I have not tried Cox’s Orange Pippin yet though) Very nice flavor. Nicely sweet with a touch of tart. Solid flesh and “almost” a dry texture. Not juice running down your cheeks like a Macintosh or similar apple. Very happy with this apple. No bugs or diseases noticed, but it’s a very small tree so far. I started with scion wood from Fedco grafted onto Bud 9 rootstock 5 years ago. I will be trying to graft more scions from my tree onto Bud9 next spring.
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Thanks for the report, Kirk! Even though you’re several zones warmer I hope mine likes it up here as much as yours does down there. Mine is 6 yrs old but on standard Antonovka so it may be a few more years. Last year we grafted a hardy Carrol to the top hoping that might help hardiness and encourage it to go dormant earlier. It’s the last of my apples to lose its leaves, along with Black Oxford. The tree is still doi g well though. Sue
Sorry for the off topic post, but just wanted to check with you on the Black Oxford. Yours has survived the last few polar vortex events? Just curious, I grafted a couple this spring but was unsure if it would take our winters.
It’s done well - planted it in 2002 and I think the only cold damage was the hard winter of 2014, both it and Dudley had some tip dieback but it wasn’t major. It was a long time to come into bearing but it was an odd shaped tree (not one of Fedco’s best) and I did major pruning before it had cropped much. Been getting apples for 4 yrs now. Looks like the bluejays are going to let me leave them to ripen on the tree this year. Sue
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@unkabuzz I am wondering if you can me more about your experience Canadian Strawberry? Do you spray your trees? I am no-spray and wondering how this might do in Virginia at 2k elevation. This last post was a while ago so I’m hoping you’ve had some more experience with it. Thanks for any info!