Malinda Apple (Spring 2027)

First year for us here, so the notes below are from the historical record rather than our own observations. We will update as we go.

Overview

Malinda is not the best eating apple we sell, and we are not going to pretend it is. What it is, is one of the trees that made cold-climate apple growing possible in the first place, and it is still a tough, reliable keeper.

Origin and History

Malinda started in Vermont and moved west with settlers into Minnesota, where it turned out to be hardy enough to survive winters that killed almost everything else. That made it foundational to the University of Minnesota breeding program. It is a parent of Haralson, and its genetics run through a whole generation of northern apples. If you grow Haralson, you are growing part of Malinda.

Fruit and Uses

Medium sized and conical, yellow with a light blush. The flesh is firm and mild, sweet rather than sharp, with a soft aromatic note. It is a decent fresh eater and a very good keeper, holding for months in a cold room. Most people grow it for history, for hardiness, and because it stores.

Growth Habit and Spacing

On Bud 118 semi-dwarf rootstock. About 15 feet between trees, up to 18 feet if you want more airflow.

Pollination

Malinda needs a pollenizer. It blooms mid-season, so most of our apples and crabapples will overlap. Haralson, Honeycrisp, Cortland and Dolgo all work.

Cold Hardiness

Listed at zone 3. Given its record in Minnesota there is a good chance it goes colder, but we would rather build our own data before we claim it.

About the photo: this isn’t Malinda itself. Photos of Malinda are either under copyright or simply unavailable, so we picked the open-source image that looks closest to the fruit. Photo: “Apple jester” by Conall, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY 4.0. Other photo: “PI 644176 'Malinda' fruit image (GRIN-Global)” by USDA-ARS National Plant Germplasm System, Plant Genetic Resources Unit, Geneva, New York, via USDA GRIN, public domain.