Zestar!® Apple Tree

Zestar!® is the early apple that breaks the early apple rule — most August varieties need to be eaten quickly or they decline, but Zestar!® stores surprisingly well for up to eight weeks under proper refrigeration without losing the crisp, juicy texture and lively sweet-tart flavor that makes it so enjoyable. A University of Minnesota release from 1999, bred from a State Fair × University selection cross specifically for northern cold-climate performance and early-season quality, it delivers medium-to-large, bright red fruit in early-to-mid August — opening the fall apple season weeks ahead of most other quality varieties. Cold hardy in Zones 4–8, spur-bearing at maturity, and annually productive. Organic options available. A pollinator is required.

Early August — The First Quality Apple of the Season

Zestar!® ripens in early-to-mid August — earlier than almost every other high-quality apple variety — bringing fresh, crisp, homegrown apples to the table at the point in summer when most orchards have nothing ready yet. That early timing makes it especially valuable as the first chapter of a succession planting designed to provide fresh apples from August through late October, and the 8-week storage life means even a single variety provides a long season of enjoyment from one harvest.

Eight Weeks of Storage — Unusually Good for an Early Apple

The storage quality of Zestar!® is genuinely exceptional for an August variety. Where most early apples must be eaten within days or they become soft and lose flavor, Zestar!® holds its crisp texture and sweet-tart character for up to eight weeks in proper cold storage — effectively bridging the gap between early-season availability and mid-season storage quality. The lively, well-balanced sweet-tart flavor that performs consistently well in taste tests holds through the entire storage period.

University of Minnesota, 1999 — Built for Northern Orchards

Zestar!® was introduced in 1999 as a University of Minnesota release — from the same program that developed Honeycrisp, State Fair, and other beloved cold-hardy apple varieties specifically for northern home orchards. The State Fair × University selection cross that produced Zestar!® was chosen specifically for the combination of early ripening, excellent flavor, reliable cold-climate performance, and the spur-bearing maturity habit that makes it increasingly compact and productive as it ages.

Why Growers Choose Zestar!®

• Early-to-mid August harvest — one of the first quality apples of the season
• Stores up to 8 weeks — unusually long for an early variety
• Lively sweet-tart flavor — consistent taste-test performer
• University of Minnesota, 1999 — State Fair × University selection cross
• Spur-bearing at maturity — increasingly compact and annually productive
• Organic options available — for growers who want a certified organic tree