Apple, Norland

Malus 'Norland', an exceptional Zone 2 apple variety developed at the Agriculture Canada Research Station in Morden, Manitoba, stands among the most cold-hardy apple cultivars available for extreme northern climates. This remarkable tree produces medium-sized fruits with bright red striping over a yellow-green background, typically reaching maturity in early to mid-September. Norland's extraordinary cold hardiness allows it to thrive in regions where temperatures can plummet to -50°F, making it perfectly suited for North Dakota's challenging winters. The tree naturally grows to a semi-dwarf size of 12-15 feet without specialized rootstocks, creating a more manageable orchard specimen that's easier to harvest and maintain. The crisp, juicy flesh offers a pleasant sweet-tart flavor profile that develops early in the ripening process. For maximum storage potential of 3-4 months, harvesting slightly before full ripeness is recommended, when the background color just begins changing from green to yellow. This early picking preserves firmness and prevents the softening that can occur with tree-ripened fruits. Norland flowers prolifically and is an excellent pollinator for other apple varieties, though it benefits from cross-pollination partners with overlapping bloom periods such as Haralred, Honeycrisp, or Frostbite for maximum fruit production. The tree shows good resistance to fire blight and apple scab, making it an excellent low-maintenance choice for both home gardens and commercial orchards in extremely cold northern regions.