This is the first year we have grown Viking so we can not report back on anything from our personal experience, which is always our goal. According to Bob, Viking is a “Large, purple-red summer apple, sprightly flavor, best suited for areas with cool summers.” He goes on to list it as being hardy to -40F, which would put it on par with being roughly as hardy as McIntosh.

Given that Viking is only hardy to -40F, we did not graft it onto rootstock that is hardier, although we likely will in future years. As such, we only have Viking on semi-dwarf M26 for Spring 2025, which is also hardy down to -40F. If you’re in an area that sees below -40F and you want to plant Viking this year, you can bury the graft and let Viking grow out on its own roots.