Centennial Applecrab

Overview

Introduced in 1957 by the University of Minnesota, Centennial is closely related to the beloved Kerr. While Kerr is a cross of Haralson x Dolgo, Centennial is the result of Wealthy x Dolgo—a pairing that brings both cold hardiness and flavor potential.

This is our second year offering Centennial, though. While we haven’t tasted the fruit yet, we’ve been impressed by the tree’s resilience—zero winter injury at Ed Schultz’s orchard in Gallatin Gateway, MT after a winter that saw -47°F on his site. It’s also a favorite among growers in Alaska, which says a lot about its toughness. Here is a direct quote from Ed, “

Flavor is excellent. And they’re really pretty. They’ve got a yellowish pink skin. They come on earlier but they hang on the tree a long time and stay good without getting mealy. Centennial ripens end of August/first part of September.

Fruit & Flavor

According to the University of Minnesota:

“Large, red-over-orange crabapple that is excellent for fresh eating and sauce, but does not store well.”

• Ripens late August in Montana

• Best used fresh or for sauce

Cold Hardiness

• Hardy to at least -50°F

• Great for Zone 2 and colder regions

For Spring 2027, our Centennial trees are grafted onto the hardy full size Dolgo and semi-dwarf Bud 118.