Zestar Apple Tree

Zestar!® is the University of Minnesota’s early-season apple cultivar Minnewashta, introduced in 1999 from State Fair × MN 1691. Its crisp, juicy fruit has a sweet-tart flavor with a brown-sugar note and develops a rosy red blush where exposed to sun. ## Fruit and harvest In Minnesota, fruit ripens in late August to early September, averages about three inches across, and stores for roughly two months under refrigeration. It is useful for fresh eating and cooking. The tree blooms very early and grows upright to spreading; vigor is strong when young and becomes more moderate as it develops a spur-type habit. Dwarf rootstocks can reduce tree size, so ultimate height depends on rootstock and training. ## Maintenance Plant in full sun with well-drained soil and provide room for the chosen rootstock and training system. Monitor for apple scab; the University reports susceptibility, with moderate resistance to fire blight. [Minnesota Hardy’s Zestar! profile](https://mnhardy.umn.edu/zestar) lists hardiness in zones 3b–4b and identifies Minnewashta as the cultivar name.