Oriole Apple (Spring 2027)

New to our lineup, so the information below comes from the University of Minnesota records and from growers who have had it longer than we have.

Overview

Oriole is a big, showy, early apple bred for cold country. It is one of the better early varieties for people who want something worth eating in August rather than just something that survives.

Origin and History

Released by the University of Minnesota in 1949, from a cross of Okabena and Livland Raspberry. Both parents trace back to the Russian hardy material, and it shows in how far north Oriole will go.

Fruit and Uses

The fruit is large for an early apple, with yellow to orange skin striped and splashed with red. The flesh is soft, juicy and sweet. It is excellent fresh and it cooks down well, and it makes good sweet cider. Like most early apples it will not store, so use it as it comes off the tree.

Growth Habit and Spacing

We are offering Oriole on both Bud 118 semi-dwarf and Dolgo full size rootstock. On Bud 118 plan on about 15 feet between trees. On Dolgo give it 18 to 20 feet. One thing worth knowing: Oriole is susceptible to powdery mildew, so site it where it gets air movement and do not crowd it.

Pollination

Oriole needs a pollenizer. It blooms mid to late, so pair it accordingly. Northern Spy, Macoun, Arkansas Black and most of our crabapples overlap.

Cold Hardiness

Listed at zone 2. The Minnesota program bred it for the north and the parentage supports it, but we have not yet taken it through a hard winter at our own sites.

About the photo: this isn’t Oriole itself. Photos of Oriole are either under copyright or simply unavailable, so we picked the open-source image that looks closest to the fruit. Photo by Kelsey Todd, via Unsplash, under the Unsplash License.

Photo credit: “Cross section of Oriole” by the National Fruit Collection, Brogdale, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under the Open Government Licence v2.0.