September Wonder® Fuji Apple Tree

Hi Louise,
You had asked if ‘Beni Shogun’ and ‘September Wonder Fuj’ are the same cultivar. The answer is “yes” and “no”. The original Fuji cultivar was introduced in 1962, and like many cultivars, chance mutations (changes in the genetics) will happen on trees, and these changes, if noticed, are called “sports”. In the case of ‘Beni Shogun”, it was a sport of the original Fuji that showed up in a group of Fuji trees in an orchard in 1992. The apples on the original limb that had the sport mutation on it were a dark solid red (much better color than the original Fuji) and so they propagated new trees from buds off of this limb and called/marketed it ‘Beni Shogun’. Likewise, in another Fuji orchard owned by Ralph Broetje, in Prescott, WA, a limb was found on a Fuji tree that had apples ripening 4-6 weeks earlier than the rest of the limbs. Again, they took buds off of that limb and patented it in 2000. They originally named it ‘Jubilee’ as the patented cultivar name but have also trademarked it as September Wonder TM. So, both Beni Shogun and September Wonder are essentially Fuji but have arisen as separate mutations with their own unique characteristics. Brian

I was selected to answer this question regarding the Fuji Apple tree we planted. According to the characteristics provided my Stark Brothers, it takes 2-5 years for this tree to bear fruit. Given my tree was planted 17 months ago, it's appears it will require a couple more years to produce. For applesauce we always used Yellow Transparent apples.

Hi Ernie,
I freeze apples all the time. Never sure what variety I am freezing, so I am sure that at some point a Fuji got in there somewhere. I vacuum pack the apples before placing in the freezer. They come out just as white as when they went in. I use them for making apple pie, applesauce, and apple desserts. So yummy in the middle of the winter or early spring knowing you have used your own apples. Have fun, experiment. You have nothing to lose.

Yes, they will. They bloom at a similar time.

This variety's keeping quality is maintained for up to 8 months in Controlled Atmosphere storage, or 4 to 5 months in common storage at 32ºF.

It has to be an apple tree to cross pollinate the Fuji, but not just any apple tree will work. There are some apple varieties that are pollen sterile ("triploids") and therefore cannot pollinate other apple trees. We recommend early to mid-season blooming varieties like Lodi, Granny Smith, Gala, Golden Delicious, and so on. If you have specific questions about compatible varieties, please contact our customer support team: 800.325.4180

That will depend upon which option you choose. Please see the "Choose an option" dropdown menu near the top of the page, which will show you the various sizes/options that are available.

Thank You, Tabitha. I have been looking for a source for a new Cheiftan(Chieftain) variety of apple for a decade or two. My father passed a couple years ago, and he had this tree that he swore he purchased from Stark Bros. It would have possibly been nearly 40 years ago. He struggled a bit getting a consistent yearly crop, but when he did the flavor of the apples received praise from everyone that he shared them with-- the perfect blend of sweet tanginess, firm flesh for fresh eating or baking, long keeping and/or freezing. It kind of became a standard that our family has always judged other store bought apples by. I appreciate your help and your ear. I will keep searching for someone who may have preserved this cultivar.

Mine look kinda rough too. We had abot 10 days of really hot weather and very little rain for the last month. Im guessing its heat and lack of moisture like mine. I lost a first year apricot tree from the same conditions already this year. I would water it every other day if its a first or second year tree.

Depends where you are, depends how soon you get and plant, depends on the winter..... these are things that Stark should've been able to tell you. Nonetheless, you should be able to plant a new tree ASAP - and it will get roots going through to frost when it goes dormant, giving it a head start over a Spring planting. The honey crisp will be a good complement to the fuji and pink lady. You should google to see if the three are recommended co-pollinators. Just google "Pollinators for Honey Crisp." It looks good.