Seed Savers Exchange recently listed their 2016 apple trees. They’re a bit expensive, but they’ve got some unique varieties. Pewaukee and Rushock Permain are two that stood out.
Cool, those are much more unique than the usual nursery. I have grown around half of them and its a good assortment.
Note they say March 2017 for shipping. Hopefully that is a typo!
BTW with Botner no longer in business SSE is also a good source for scionwood. I have gotten varieties from them before. You need to join and the prices are not cheap but they have 500 or more varieties.
Hey I get their paper catalog and there they make clear that these are orders for custom-grafted trees and indeed they won’t ship until 2017 - its not a typo
If you like any of them join SSE for something like $25, get scionwood for around $5 a stick, and graft them this spring. I was recently looking at the yearbook and there are over 1000 apple varieties available. Here is the link: https://exchange.seedsavers.org/catalog/index.aspx?type=browse&cat=2
Scott:
I grew up near Pewaukee, WI on an old standard apple orchard! I recall in the late 70’s that the local newspaper mentioned that someone in the area was trying to save the old ‘Pewaukee’ apple that originated locally and that free grafts were being given away. My family called for one but they were all gone.
Later I heard that we “didn’t miss much” as a friend put it. ‘Pewaukee’ was a local apple that originated from a cross with Duchess of Oldenburg. Ditto for another neighboring variety called ‘Milwaukee’ that originated in Milwaukee, WI.
Personally I have never tasted the apple but glad to know for historical purposes, somebody still has it. Last I read, the only source I could find was a place in Canada that offered heirloom apple trees but did not ship to the U.S.
My grandmother had a ‘Duchess’ tree and I sampled a lot of pies she made from it in my youth.
The orchard I worked at out of college had one standard Duchess tree left. I recall the fruit ripened in August and was very tart.
I am very fond of ‘Regent’ from U of MN that is a cross of Duchess and Red Delicious. I do not enjoy it for fresh use but find it makes a very unique tasting pie. Ripens in early October. I would rank it as one of my top 5 pie apple varieties.
Keep us posted on this site if you do get a Pewaukee apple and find its merits for cooking or eating.