Plant Database
Gravenstein Apple Tree
Apple ‘Gravenstein’
The Gravenstein Apple is a celebrated heirloom treasure, prized for its complex, aromatic flavor that perfectly bridges sweet and tart. This early-season apple has a distinctive, sometimes irregular shape and a beautiful red-striped skin. Its tender-yet-crisp flesh is extraordinarily juicy and fragrant, making it arguably the world's finest applesauce apple and a sublime choice for fresh cider, pies, and eating out of hand. While its storage life is short, its unparalleled flavor for early summer harvest makes the Gravenstein a cherished, fast-disappearing classic.
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Famous for its intense, aromatic, and perfectly balanced sweet-tart flavor.
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Extremely juicy with a tender-crisp texture that cooks down into superb sauce.
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Fruit is medium-sized, round to slightly flat, with yellow skin streaked with red.
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An early-season apple (harvested in late summer), but does not store for long.
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Requires cross-pollination from another early-blooming variety.
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A vigorous, spreading deciduous tree known for its heavy, reliable bearing.
Flavor Profile:
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Flavor: Rich, aromatic, and complex, with a vibrant balance of sweetness and tartness.
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Texture: Tender-crisp and explosively juicy.
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Best Uses: The ultimate applesauce and fresh cider apple. Also excellent for fresh eating, baking, and pies.