Northern Spy apple

Northern Spy apple identification images

All images copyright Orange Pippin unless otherwise stated.

USDA identification images for Northern Spy

The identification paintings in the USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection span the years 1886 to 1942.

Citation: U.S. Department of Agriculture Pomological Watercolor Collection. Rare and Special Collections, National Agricultural Library, Beltsville, MD 20705.

Visitor reviews

• 17 Oct 2022 

  I am referring to the Northern Spy apple that we had about 50 years ago. I do not like the new bREED, It does not taste anything like the old ones.
• 10 Oct 2022 

  Found this variety in a northern Maine campground. 6-7 trees with good production
• 10 Oct 2020  WASHINGTON, United States

  I believe the tree in my backyard is a Northern Spy! Closest description I can find. Family members have been enjoying my deep dish apple pies from it years, & a neighbor made apple butter. The soil here is poor, having too much clay & I've been told the mildew & leaf curl on the branch ends is due to a root disease that cannot be treated “naturally.” Other than pruning, I have done nothing for the tree and would like to know more about keeping it healthy in Seattle moderate climate.
• 20 Aug 2020  ME, United States

  Cant rate the taste because my spy was bought 4 yrs ago as a 5 ft bare root whip from fedco. Does have a strong pyrimdal growth habit so strong pruning a must and I staked 3 branches to grow horizontal. Just started to prune this last winter, wish I started in second year. I do have a cox pippin and ashmead kernel. about 100' from it don't know if its compatable.
• 07 Sep 2019  ON, Canada

  I loved these apples as a kid. A few years ago we found an orchard just north of Toronto, Ontario that had some as a "pick your own". We used to get them for over winter as they store so well. Great for pies and in our lunches. We never went to pick them until after the first frost as Mom insisted it improved the flavor.
• 07 Aug 2016  NEW YORK, United States

  14 years until first bloom on our full size specimen. Needs heavy pruning to develop a strong and spreading structure- wants to grow pyramidally, with many small branches. Good central leader persistence and sound branching. Lots of wood and leaf when grown in a fertile spot. Extremely late leaf out, while holding leaves well into December, which can be a problem when early (wet) snow bends the branches. Due to the lateness of leaf out, this is an excellent variety for understory cropping, lawn, or pasture- we grow strawberries, peas, or early potatoes under it. Large and attractive tree for landscaping. We're in zone 4b, on a dense silt loam, somewhat poorly drained/some panning @ 14-20". 50-60" annual precip- evenly spread- with 160-220" of snowfall. Spies are the best combination of taste, versatility, and keeping that I've found- a perfect 'only one tree' variety as long as you have pollinators flowering at the same time, and within a 1/4 mile of you. If not, you can graft on a couple of branches.
• 08 Apr 2016  MICHIGAN, United States

  I fell in love with this apple when I was 4 yrs old. My mom and I went to a pick-ur-own orchard. Up the slope in the back, I found these absolutely HUGE apples that I could only hold with both hands. One bite and I was hooked. Nowadays they are almost impossible to find. Even here in apple country. (Romeo, MI is well known for its orchards). Dan from Ontario is spot on with his description about apple pie. It's not too mushy, nor is it too stiff. The texture is just right. Before they became so hard to find, there was a time when they were also used as part of the variety blend to make cider.
• 23 Oct 2015  MASSACHUSETTS, United States

  Northern Spy makes the best pie. Newly planted trees are notoriously slow to bear fruit, which is why you seldom see it planted commercially anymore.
• 19 Sep 2015  MICHIGAN OAKLAND, United States

  Have a 57 year old Northern Dwarf Spy Tree. It has produced every year. Some a lot more than others. We have had to suport the lower limbs. Our Tree Man injects it to keep it very healthy.
• 03 Nov 2014  United States

  I have this fall, tried three different orchards in our mid Michigan area in my quest for tart, crisp, and long keeper SPY apples. All three orchards proclaimed they had spys, but all were much softer and not nearly as tart as in the old days. Has there been a change in what people call spys? Is there a difference in apples from old trees and younger ones, perhaps grafted ones? I know spy apples, and these are not them.....despite what the orchardist says
• 19 Oct 2014  MI, United States

  Here in Western Michigan we have the biggest northern spy this year. As my mother used to say if you wa t to make a good pie use a northern spy. Also love the for apple sauce.
• 06 Oct 2014  ONTARIO, Canada

  To get Spies these days you usually have to head to a good Farmer's market or an orchard. As mentioned, these are simply the best pie apples, producing absolutely perfect texture (soft yet toothsome) and good rich flavour (a hearty aroma, vanilla notes, perfect sweetness). Bake it with Spies and get ready for everyone to ask your secret. Great eating apples, too--excellent crunch, acid and sweet in what feels like a 50/50 balance.
• 08 Sep 2014  NM, United States

  Northern Spy is my favorite apple, but I've not found them in NM. We had them back east (NY and New England) where I grew up, and in Western MI, where every fruit grows (!). I absolutely LOVE making pies with Northern Spy apples - yum!
• 03 Nov 2013  PA, United States

  Central PA -- small crop due to the late spring, but the resulting fruit is excellent. My favorite of all apples, and getting hard to find.
• 24 Oct 2013  MAINE, United States

  Our Spys are simply Gi-normous this year. It has taken many years for our new trees to come into production, and it was worth the wait. What a beautiful, sweet-tart, juicy apple.
• 04 Sep 2013  MA, United States

  Spies for pies! The Northern Spy is one of two varieties I use for pies from mid-autumn on. I try to buy them in upstate New York rather than in Massachusetts, where I live, because I think Northern Spies grown in colder climates are better than those grown in milder climates.
• 12 Feb 2013  New Zealand

  This apple had the pequliar flavor of bubble-gum and minty leather. I would recomend it to people who like bubble-gum and or minty leather.
• 26 Jan 2013  WASHINGTON, United States

  Was disappointed with this apple. After everything I had read, I anticipated a much better experience than what I got. Mushy texture, slight tang but overall rather bland. Might have been an older apple.
• 16 Oct 2011  PENNSYLVANIA, United States

  Northern Spy is not an easy-to-find apple, but if you find them, buy them! They seem to prefer colder climates, and are not generally ready to pick until mid-October. They keep well, and if you can keep the family from eating them out of hand, they make the best apple pies, bar none!
• 30 Sep 2011  PENNSYLVANIA, United States

  We just moved back to the Endless Mountains countryside and found a very mature apple tree in front of our house. My parents had it pruned as a gift to us, and now it is bearing lovely Northern Spy apples. We have picked a few early, and already they are delicious! Surprising to see such good bearing on an old tree.
• 01 Apr 2011  OREGON, United States

  I was given a huge tree that was to be moved and hauled away from a bad location. I had it taken to my place in the Foothills of Mt. Rainier in the state of Washington where it is still flourishing. I am going back there this summer and try to get a cutting from it. The apples are so delicious and make an excellant pie.
• 01 Nov 2010  NEW YORK, United States

  My grandparents grew Northern Spy apples on their farm in Coopers Plains, NY. I grew up enjoying my grandmother's "deep-dish apple pie" (a pie baked in a shallow rectangular Pyrex pan with only a top crust) made from those apples. Wonderful!
• 15 Oct 2010  United States

  The Northern Spy was developed around present-day Bloomfield, NY, quite accidentally, by early settlers, the Chapin brothers. Search Northern Spy for the full history of their serendipitous route to this (plus two other recognized varieties), from the same planting & re-locating of young apple trees. Around here, we call 'em Northern Spies or just Spies, not Northern's Pie. Many people still prefer & ask for this apple at market.
• 14 Oct 2010  MAINE, United States

  I bought an old farm in 1998 that was overgrown. In the woods (2' spruce and popple) there were apple trees. we cut about 3 achers of the woods carefully marking the apple trees in rows. One tree that had fallen over but not dead had fruit the next year. We pruned the others back about 1/3 and got some apples from almost all of them. I had a 50+ year old 3rd generation orchard owner come to tell me what to do from there. He told me to cut all the macs. they had scab to deep to spray out. but keep the spy untill I could graft from it he said it was the best tree he had seen. clean larg apples from a tree laying on the ground. I just picked 2 bushell of 3 to 4 inch apples from a 12' tree 5 years after grafting. I have 5 more trees growing on wild root stock from that tree but it is still producing 4-5 bushel laying down.
• 12 Oct 2010  FLORIDA, United States

  A friend shared a pie made with the "Northern Spy Apple," and it was great. I would like to know where I can purchase some to share with my family.
• 09 Nov 2009  PORTAGE CO., OH, United States

  These a big lumpy funny-looking apples, but my goodness I think they are my favorite. Tart and perfect and my go-to apple for galette aux pommes. Yum!
• 16 Sep 2009  ONTARIO ,, Canada

  Hi Nancy.....from Nancy!!!! I've read different things about the odd name of this apple. This probably means nobody knows for sure. I've read that it's possibly "Northern's Pie Apple". That explanation makes most sense to me, since it was (& is) mostly used for pies......it used to be a dessert apple,too,But not until it "mellows" after long storage. I'm thinking that's why the "Northern's Pie" explanation is the right one.....it was definitely the #1 pie apple in Ontario(it's great for cooking, right from harvest till Spring) But only used for dessert, for a few months .... It really is more of a pie apple. Around here (Ontario) people who're familiar with it(mostly older people) usually just call it "Spy".
• 27 Aug 2009  AURORA, ARAPAHOE COLORADO, United States

  Where can we purchase these apples? I have tried our local grocers, and some high end ones, and still no northern spys.
• 29 Jun 2009  ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, United States

  In a recent conversation with friends about apples, the question arose as to why "Northern Spy" was so-named? Any answers?
• 20 May 2009  CANYON/IDAHO, United States

  We found an ancient apple tree in a mountain gully, bearing golden/green with slight blush or brown streak from the stem over the shoulder of apple. It seems much like the Northern Spy trees I found in upstate New York. This tree ripens in early October, and is located next to an ancient mining road. Maybe a Johnny Appleseed Northern Spy? We picked a few that made great pie and sauce. Apples kept until March in dry, cool place. Buried the cores and pealings and VOILA 2 years later were the baby trees! About the 5th year growing at same elevation of mother tree, we had the first fruits!. Using Dr.Robert M. Crassweller's system, we sprouted seeds and planted indoors and have 13 healthy plants now, each about 8 inches tall. Question: Do we prune the top off this plant and move to gallon containers outside now that frost is past? HELP??? Any advice for culture of these young plants will be greatly appreciated!
• 08 Oct 2008  ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS, United States

  I have only had this apple once, some 20 years ago. I don't clearly recall the flavor, although I recall that I enjoyed the apple. I do recall that the flesh of this apple is naturally pale yellow in color, not white.
• 24 Sep 2008  OREGON, United States

  We have an apple my great grandfather planted in the late 1800's or very early 1900's. It is not very large, has very deep, bright red color with tiny white spots on, white meat very juicy and flavourful. May have come from Johnnie Appleseed in a covered wagon. I would like to know variety.

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Where to buy trees

The following tree nurseries offer Northern Spy apple trees for sale:

• Orange Pippin Fruit Trees (USA) United States
  Northern Spy apple trees
• Cummins Nursery
  United States  More >>

Where to buy fresh fruit

The following orchards grow Northern Spy:

United States

• California

  • Riley's Apple Farm #1, Oak Glen
  • The Apple Farm -- Bates & Schmitt, Philo

• Connecticut

  • Allyn's Red Barn, Ledyard
  • Averill Farm, Washington Depot
  • Ellsworth Hill Orchard & Berry Farm, LLC, Sharon
  • Irish Bend Orchard, Somers
  • Palazzi Orchard, East Killingly
  • Seek No Further Orchard, Hebron

• Idaho

  • BYU-Idaho Apple Orchard Museum, Rexburg

• Indiana

  • Apple of His Eye, Anderson
  • Cook's Orchard, Fort Wayne
  • Doud's Countyline Orchard, Wabash
  • G. W. Stroh Orchards, Angola
  • HighPoint Orchard & Farm Market, Greensburg
  • McClure's Orchard, Peru
  • Mowry's Fruit Farm, Crown Point
  • Schafer Orchards, Princeton
  • Harker Family Farms & Orchard, Waldron

• Iowa

  • Berry Patch Farm, Nevada
  • Wilson's Orchard, Iowa City

• Kansas

  • Fieldstone Enterprise, Overbrook

• Kentucky

  • Eckert | Boyd Orchard, Versailles
  • Hidden Hollow Orchard and Wildlife Sanctuary, Louisville

• Maine

  • Conant Orchards, Etna
  • Eden Acres Family Farm, East Waterboro
  • Hope Orchards, Hope
  • McDougal Orchards, Springvale
  • Megquier Hill Orchard (formerly Goss), Otisfield
  • North Chester Orchard, Chester
  • Pietree Orchard, Sweden
  • Shalom Organic Orchard & Winery, Franklin
  • Sweetser's Apple Barrel and Orchards, Cumberland Center

• Massachusetts

  • Atkins Farms, Amherst
  • Autumn Hill Orchards, Groton
  • Bartlett's Orchard, Richmond
  • Bolton Spring Farm, Bolton
  • Brook Farm Orchard, Ashfield
  • C.N. Smith Farm, East Bridgewater
  • Cider Hill Farm, Amesbury
  • Clarkdale Fruit Farms, Deerfield
  • Hilltop Orchards, Richmond
  • Meadowbrook Orchards, Sterling
  • Park Hill Orchard, Easthampton
  • Red Apple Farm, Phillipston
  • Sholan Farms, Leominster
  • Tougas Family Farm, Northborough

• Michigan

  • (A.W.) Overhiser Orchards, South Haven
  • Alber's Orchard & Cider Mill, Manchester
  • Apple Lane Orchard, Flint
  • Bayne's Apple Valley Farm, Freeland
  • Bennett's Orchard, Ottawa Lake
  • Bintz Cider Mill and Apple Farm, Freeland
  • Brainerd Farms, Onsted
  • Elliotts Orchard, Bellaire
  • Erie Orchards and Cider Mill, Erie
  • Erwin Orchards U-Pick & Cider Mill, South Lyon
  • Fruit Ridge Hayrides, Kent City
  • Grand View Orchard, Hudsonville
  • Granny's Orchard, Eaton Rapids
  • Husted Farm Market and Cider Mill, Kalamazoo
  • Jacques Orchard, Hemlock
  • Kapnick Orchards, Britton
  • Keeney Orchards, Tipton
  • Klackle Orchards, Greenville
  • Knaebe's "Mmmunchy Krunchy" Apple Farm Cider Mill, Rogers City
  • Koan's Orchard, Flushing
  • Leaman's Green Applebarn, Freeland
  • Lewis Farm Market & Petting Farm, New Era
  • Long Family Orchard and Farm, Commerce
  • Markillie Orchard and Cider Mill, Howell
  • Miller Family Orchard, Vassar
  • Moelker Orchards & Farm Market, Grand Rapids
  • Morrison Farms, Williamsburg
  • Orchard Beach Farm, Quincy
  • Orchard Hill Farm, Caledonia
  • Phillips Orchards & Cider Mill, Saint Johns
  • Porter's Orchard Farm Market & Cider Mill, Goodrich
  • Red Apple Orchard, Britton
  • Robinette's Apple Haus and Winery, Grand Rapids
  • Schultz Fruitridge Farms, Mattawan
  • Sietsema Orchards & Cider Mill, Ada
  • Speaker Lone Oak Orchard, Melvin
  • Springhope Farm, Galien
  • Steffens Orchard Market, Sparta
  • T&K Orchard, Lake City
  • Tompkins' Orchard and Country Store, Vassar
  • Uptegraff's Orchard, Davison
  • VerHage Fruit Farms, Kalamazoo
  • Westview Farm, Mattawan
  • Westview Orchards & Winery, Romeo
  • Hanulcik Farm Market, Ionia

• Minnesota

  • Sweetland Orchard, Webster

• New Hampshire

  • Alyson's Apple Orchard, Walpole
  • Applecrest Farm Orchards, Hampton Falls
  • Butternut Farm LLC, Farmington
  • Demeritt Hill Farm, Lee
  • Hackleboro Orchards, Canterbury
  • Hatches Orchard, Center Conway
  • Old Ciderpress Farm, Westmoreland
  • Richardson's Farm, Boscawen
  • Stone Brook Hill Farm, Gilford
  • Stonybrook Farm, Gilford

• New Jersey

  • Delicious Orchards, Colts Neck
  • Longmeadow Farm, Hope
  • Pochuck Valley Farms Market and deli, Glenwood
  • Riamede Farm, Chester

• New Mexico

  • Costanzas' Orchards and A-Bee Honey, Edgewood
  • Manzanar Los Silvestres, Abiquiu

• New York

  • Apple Barrel Orchards, Penn Yan
  • Bellinger's Apple Orchard, Fultonville
  • Bidwell Orchards, Fort Plain
  • Borden's Orchard, Schaghticoke
  • Bowman Orchards, Rexford
  • G and S Orchards, Macedon
  • Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard, North Salem
  • Indian Ladder Farms Inc., Altamont
  • Lone Maple Farm, Binghamton
  • LoveApple Farms, Ghent
  • Miller's Apples, Dunkirk
  • Morgan Farms LLC, Marion
  • Northern Orchard Co Inc., Peru
  • Ontario Orchards Farm, Market & Cider Mill, Sterling
  • Rulfs Orchard, Peru
  • Samascott Orchard, Kinderhook
  • Soons Orchards Inc., New Hampton
  • Whittier Fruit Farm, Rochester
  • Windy Hill Orchard & Farm Market, Cassville

• North Carolina

  • Creasman Farms, Hendersonville

• Ohio

  • Arrowhead Orchard, Paris
  • Highwater Orchard, Newark
  • Hoen's Orchard and Market, Delta
  • Legend Hills Orchard, Utica
  • M & M Orchard, Ashtabula
  • Moreland Fruit Farm, Wooster
  • Ochs Fruit Farm, Lancaster

• Oregon

  • Haury Farms, Salem
  • Kiyokawa Family Orchards, Mount Hood Parkdale
  • Marquam Meadows Fruit Company, Molalla
  • Smith Berry Barn, Hillsboro
  • B&P Hitz Fruit Farm, Woodburn

• Pennsylvania

  • Apple Castle, New Wilmington
  • Godfrey Run Farm, LLC, Lake City
  • Gray Wolf Plantation, New Oxford
  • Holy Root Farm, New Tripoli
  • Kistaco Farm, Apollo
  • Klim Orchard, Lake Ariel
  • Northrop's Apple Acres, Lake City
  • Orton's Fruit Farm, North East
  • Pappy's Orchard, Coopersburg
  • Rocky Ridge Orchards, Kane
  • Shenot Farm, Wexford
  • Soergel's Orchards, Wexford
  • Townsend Brother's Fruit Farm, Spring Church

• Rhode Island

  • Barden Family Orchard, North Scituate

• Vermont

  • Terry's Orchard, Bennington

• Virginia

  • Jim’s Apples, Duffield

• Washington

  • Piper's Orchard, Seattle
  • Skipley Farm, Snohomish        *** Feature Orchard ***

• Wisconsin

  • Door Creek Orchard, Cottage Grove

Canada

• British Columbia

  • Apple Luscious Organic Orchards, Salt Spring Island
  • Blue Haze Farm, Victoria
  • Dragonfly Farm, Salt Spring Island
  • Fruit Forest Certified Organic Farm, Cobble Hill
  • Garside's Fruit Farm, Abbotsford
  • Ravenskill Orchards, Gabriola Island
  • Salt Spring Apple Company, Salt Spring Island

• Nova Scotia

  • Vista Bella Farm Orchard and Apiary, Malagash

• Ontario

  • Cleaver Orchards, Simcoe
  • DeVries Fruit Farm, Fenwick
  • Dixie Orchards, Caledon
  • Juicy-Fruit Orchards, Thedford
  • Moore Orchards, Cobourg
  • Rural Route Orchard, Halton Hills

References

• Cedar-Apple Rust  
  Author: Stephen Vann, University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture (FSA7538)
  Rated as susceptible - control usually needed where CAR is prevalent.
• Apples for the 21st Century
  Author: Manhart