Add to wishlist
Zestar! Apple Tree

Zestar!® Apple Tree

Zestar! apple trees are well known not only for their cold hardiness, but also for their beautiful apples with a unique zesty flavor. In fact, unlike other early season apple trees which are more soft, these apple trees produce crispy juicy apples. When you bite into them you’ll taste the well balanced sweet-tart flavor with a hint of brown sugar, which is what makes their apples so unique!

This product is currently out of stock and unavailable.

General Tree Height/Caliper: Most of our fruit trees (apple, peach, apricot, plum, pear, nectarine, quince, and cherry) are grafted/budded and are 4-6' tall with a caliper/diameter of about 1/4-3/4". Most have more than 5' height and 1/2" diameter. The other trees are seedlings, such as pawpaw, mulberry, persimmon, shade, berry, and flowering trees which range from 18-36" tall.

A rootstock primarily controls a tree's size and how early it bears fruit. Learn more about our specific rootstocks.

SKU: app-zes Category: Tags: , ,

Zestar!® Apple Tree Overview

The Zestar!® apple tree is well known not only for its cold hardiness, but also for its beautiful apples with a unique zesty flavor. In fact, unlike other early season apple trees which are more soft, the Zestar!® apple tree produces crispy juicy apples which will ripen in late August in Minnesota. When you bite into them you’ll taste the well balanced sweet-tart flavor with a hint of brown sugar, which is what makes their apples so unique. The University of Minnesota’s Horticultural Research Center, which also has developed other famous cold hardy varieties such as Honeycrisp, Sweet 16, Haralson, and Honeygold, introduced this apple tree in 1999 by combining State Fair x MN 1691.

Just like any other apple tree, the Zestar!® apple tree grows the best when it’s planted in full sun in well drained soil. Because it was developed in a cold climate, it also grows best in cold climates. Additionally, the first two years, it will be very vigorous and then as it matures, will become moderately vigorous. Once they are ready early in the season, you can pick them and eat them fresh or start cooking with them! If there are too many to enjoy at once, you can store them for up to two months in a cold storage.

Growing Characteristics

  • Uses: Eating fresh and cooking
  • Taste: Sweet-tart taste with a hint of brown sugar and a light crispy, juicy texture
  • Size: Large
  • Color: Red blush over a green base
  • Hardiness Zones: 3b-8
  • Disease resistance
    • Scab – Very susceptible
    • Mildew – Some resistance
    • Fireblight – Some resistance
    • Cedar apple rust – Some resistance
  • Harvest period: late August, early
  • Flowering Group: 1
  • Cross Pollinates with: Dolgo, Duchess of Oldenburg, Wickson, and McIntosh to name a few.
  • Cultivation: This apple tree is precocious and has good cropping. It is also vigorous and does especially well on dwarf rootstock.
  • Storage: You can store the apples for up to 2 months without the apple losing its flavor.
Rootstock

EMLA 7, Bud 118, Bud 9

Reviews

There are no reviews yet.

Be the first to review “Zestar!® Apple Tree”

Shipping

  • Our shipping cost is 15-25% of the order total (depending on the size of the trees and how far the state is from NY) plus our handling fee which includes light pruning, packaging, printing, and quality checks.
  • To get an estimate for shipping cost, put your address on the cart page with your desired trees.
  • Note: we ship to Hawaii and Alaska however the shipping price is higher.

Warranty

  • If your tree doesn’t grow by July 1st or dies in the fall of the first year, please email us with a photo, order number, and description of the issue.
  • If the issue is related with the tree itself rather than lack of care, we guarantee to replace it next season or give a full refund.

Refunds and Cancellations

  • You can cancel your order to receive a full refund, but please note that cancelling an order after April 1st will result in a partial refund of 75% of the order total.
  • We much prefer payments by credit card or PayPal. If you pay by check or cash, then payments for pickup and shipping orders should be received within 30 days of your order, otherwise will be automatically cancelled.
  • If due to unforeseen circumstances your ordered tree is no longer available, you can get a full refund or a substitution with another variety.