Northwest Greening is an American heirloom apple with a unique origin story. Allegedly a cross between Golden Russet and Alexander, it was originally planted in 1849 by Jasen Hatch of Iola, Wisconsin. The resulting seedling was initially used as rootstock for another variety that ultimately failed. However, the tree was left to grow—and it wasn’t until the 1870s, when E.W. Daniels of Auroraville, Wisconsin, tasted the fruit, that it gained recognition. Daniels began promoting the variety and officially introduced it in 1872.

Montana History and Legacy

According to the Western Agriculture Research Center in Corvallis, MT, Northwest Greening was already being grown commercially in Montana by 1900. It was listed as one of the hardiest apples in Ravalli County, and among cultivars found in Dawson, Carbon, Custer, Park, Yellowstone, Sweet Grass, and Rosebud Counties by 1901.

Incredible Yields

What truly caught our attention was a report from Bruce Benson, who noted that in a tough production year (2023), many of his trees failed to produce—except his lone Northwest Greening. That tree, grafted onto semi-standard MM111, produced a whopping 800 pounds (or 20 bushels) of apples from a single tree!

Flavor and Storage

Flavor-wise, Northwest Greening is comparable to Granny Smith when fresh off the tree—crisp, tart, and refreshing. One of its biggest advantages is its storability: the apples last for over three months in storage, and many say the flavor improves over time.

Hardiness

• Alexander (one parent): hardy to -50°F

• Golden Russet (other parent): hardy to at least -40°F

Based on parentage and anecdotal reports, Northwest Greening is likely hardy to -40°F to -45°F, with some claims of survival even at -50°F. While we haven’t tested it at those extremes, early signs point to excellent cold resilience.

For Spring 2025, our Northwest Greening trees are grafted onto M26, which is only hardy to -40°F. Therefore, if you’re in a region that experiences temperatures below -40°F, we strongly recommend burying the graft union and allowing the tree to root above the graft. This allows the Northwest Greening genetics to take over rootstock duties, resulting in a full-sized tree with maximum cold hardiness.