The comprehensive resource for apples and orchards

Zestar! apple

Early season apple with a good crisp sweet-tart flavor.

Zestar! photo tape

Zestar! is a early season apple that comes from the University of Minnesota breeding program (trademarked, USPP#11367).  It is a good solid early apple, with a sweet-tart taste and a hint of brown sugar flavoring.  The apple is medium in size, round, with red cover over 60-75% of the skin depending on sun exposure, and yellow undercolor.  The flesh is white with a crisp texture, and while a nice texture for cooking the apple does tend to brown fairly quickly.

For an early season apple the taste is very good, and it also has a good shelf-life of a couple months.  It is one of the parents of the new popular US variety, Sweetango.

Zestar! was developed for cold-hardiness, and performs best in cool climates. It is hardy down to zone 4.

Last updated 16 Feb 2012.

Summary

  • Species: Malus domestica
  • Parentage: State Fair x MN 1691
  • Origin: Minnesota, United States
  • Introduced: 1999
  • Developed by: University of Minnesota
  • Orange Pippin Cultivar ID: 199200

Identification

  • Fruit colour: Red / Green 60-85% red over green base
  • Flesh colour: White
  • Fruit size: Medium

Using

  • Good for eating fresh
  • Good for cooking
  • Flavour quality: Very good
  • Flavour style: Sweet/Sharp
  • Ripening period: Early season
  • Use / keeping: 1-2 months

Growing

  • Cropping: Good
  • Flowering period: Extremely early
  • Flowering group: 1
  • Fertility: Self-sterile
  • Vigour: Slightly large
  • Precocity: Precocious
  • Gardening skill: Average
  • Fruit bearing: Spur-bearer

Climate

  • Suitable for temperate climates
  • Tolerates cold winters

Disease resistance

  • Mildew  - Some resistance
  • Fireblight  - Some resistance
  • Cedar apple rust  - Some resistance
  • Scab  - Very susceptible

Relationships to other varieties

Parents and other ancestors of this variety:

Offspring of this variety:

Zestar! identification photos from website visitors


Zestar! tape


Zestar!

Photo courtesy of University of Minnesota tape


Photo courtesy of University of Minnesota


Rate this variety for flavor

Current rating: 4.3 out of 5. Total votes cast: 12
 

Visitor comments

(Use the form at the bottom to add your own comments about this variety)

30 Sep 2011 David M. TaylorWI, United States
This is one of the very best newer apples out there. Very crunchy and juicy, and much more smackingly tart than sweet, with just a very pleasant appley flavor. (I also do NOT detect any "brown sugar" flavor at all.) I would guess this should be a great apple for cooking and cider making as well as fresh eating -- very versatile! Can't wait to make some cider of this one!!
19 Sep 2011 MattWISCONSIN, United States
"Zest" is the word. If you like an apple to open your eyes and slap your taste buds than this is the apple for you. It is crisp with sweetness to balance the zing. Keeps well for an early apple.
31 Aug 2011 AlanMA, United States
A very tasty apple, a very nice sweet-tart combo. Supposedly it tastes of brown sugar, but I do not detect that. It is crisp and the skin is delicious as well as the fruit. Will definetly buy it again.

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Fruit tree register

Do you have a tree of this variety in your garden or orchard? If so please register the details here and contribute to our international register of fruit trees.

The following Zestar! trees have been registered - click the name to view more details of each tree.

You can also view these trees on a map.

United States



Latest Spring blossom records for this variety

2012 season

  • 18th April  2012  - tree owned by Chuck in WORTHINGTON, United States

Record your blossom dates in our Fruit Tree Register - more >>.

Mature heights for Zestar! trees

This table shows the likely mature height for a Zestar! tree taking into account the vigor of the variety, the rootstock, and soil conditions.

Rootstock Soil quality
Poor Below average Average Above average Very good
P22 2.8 ft
0.9 m		 3.5 ft
1.1 m		 4.2 ft
1.3 m		 5.3 ft
1.6 m		 6.3 ft
1.9 m
M27 3.2 ft
1.0 m		 4.0 ft
1.2 m		 4.8 ft
1.5 m		 6.0 ft
1.8 m		 7.2 ft
2.2 m
M9 4.8 ft
1.5 m		 6.0 ft
1.8 m		 7.2 ft
2.2 m		 9.0 ft
2.8 m		 10.8 ft
3.3 m
Bud.9 4.8 ft
1.5 m		 6.0 ft
1.8 m		 7.2 ft
2.2 m		 9.0 ft
2.8 m		 10.8 ft
3.3 m
Geneva 11 4.8 ft
1.5 m		 6.0 ft
1.8 m		 7.2 ft
2.2 m		 9.0 ft
2.8 m		 10.8 ft
3.3 m
Geneva 16 5.6 ft
1.7 m		 7.0 ft
2.1 m		 8.4 ft
2.6 m		 10.5 ft
3.2 m		 12.6 ft
3.9 m
M26 6.0 ft
1.8 m		 7.5 ft
2.3 m		 9.0 ft
2.8 m		 11.3 ft
3.5 m		 13.5 ft
4.1 m
Geneva 30 6.4 ft
2.0 m		 8.0 ft
2.5 m		 9.6 ft
2.9 m		 12.0 ft
3.7 m		 14.4 ft
4.4 m
MM102 6.4 ft
2.0 m		 8.0 ft
2.5 m		 9.6 ft
2.9 m		 12.0 ft
3.7 m		 14.4 ft
4.4 m
M7 7.2 ft
2.2 m		 9.0 ft
2.8 m		 10.8 ft
3.3 m		 13.5 ft
4.1 m		 16.2 ft
5.0 m
M116 7.2 ft
2.2 m		 9.0 ft
2.8 m		 10.8 ft
3.3 m		 13.5 ft
4.1 m		 16.2 ft
5.0 m
MM106 8.0 ft
2.5 m		 10.0 ft
3.1 m		 12.0 ft
3.7 m		 15.0 ft
4.6 m		 18.0 ft
5.5 m
MM111 9.2 ft
2.8 m		 11.5 ft
3.5 m		 13.8 ft
4.2 m		 17.3 ft
5.3 m		 20.7 ft
6.3 m
Bud.118 10.4 ft
3.2 m		 13.0 ft
4.0 m		 15.6 ft
4.8 m		 19.5 ft
6.0 m		 23.4 ft
7.2 m
M25 11.6 ft
3.6 m		 14.5 ft
4.4 m		 17.4 ft
5.3 m		 21.8 ft
6.7 m		 26.1 ft
8.0 m

From an idea by N. Buck - more details.

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