Apple, Frostbite (Malus ‘Frostbite’)

Frostbite Apple - Malus ‘Frostbite’

• Botanical Name: Malus ‘Frostbite’
• Common Name: Frostbite, MN 447
• Zone: 3 to 7
• Sun: Full sun
• Height: 15 – 20 feet
• Spread: 10 – 12 feet
• Water: Medium
• Maintenance: High
• Flower: Fragrant, Showy
• Bloom Description: White, Pink
• Bloom Time: April
• Pollination Requirement: Requires different variety with same bloom period
• Fruit Size: Small 2 – 2.5in
• Uses: Cider, Desserts, Dried chips, Fresh eating
• Attracts: Birds, Butterflies, Bees, Hummingbirds
• Tolerate: Air Pollution

Considered the most unusual apple you’ll ever taste. The mature apple has a deep-red skin over a golden champagne background; firm, crisp, and juicy texture; with a cream-colored flesh. It’s smaller than most modern varieties, and is slightly tangy with an intensely sweet flavor, reminiscent of sugar cane, with slight cherry notes.

Frostbite is a seed grown apple (‘Melinda’, open-pollinated) that was developed by the University of Minnesota in 1921, and has been used extensively in their breeding program, because of its hardiness. Frostbite is a parent to Keepsake and Sweet 16 apples and a grandparent to Honeycrisp. Virtually unknown outside the University until it was released to the public in 2008, it was simply call MN 447 and was used as breeding stock, as it was thought to be too flavorful an apple for fresh eating. Imagine that! Mature fruit didn’t become available to the public until 2014.

A small unique apple, extremely cold hardy, and unusual in appearance, size, and flavor. Makes great cider due to the distinctive flavor of the apples. Frostbite is by far one of our favorite apples.