Death Wish™ Crabapple (Century Tree)
We are excited to start releasing the Death Wish Crabapple from our breeding program. Death Wish was chosen from cross-breeding crabs we identified as being over 100-years old with extraordinary height and large diameters (27"-30+"), and were located near the northern most parts of the country, closer to the Canadian border. Death was chosen out of these trials to be our first Wildlife Century Tree. This tree has shown extremely dense cropping, self pollination, cold hardiness and is very disease resistant, including high resistance to Fireblight. Its crabs average 1"-1.15" in diameter and slowly start to drop in late October. The main dropping period begins in November through December. Death Wish has shown some semi-weeping characteristics, which seem to allow for the weight associated with dense cropping, eliminating limb break potential. Budded 1-year trees push a thin, tall solid whip in the nursery.
Currently we're releasing a limited number on larger 111 rootstock. We've also began budding trees for Spring 2026 on to full size rootstock, which will allow for the maximum large potential of this extraordinary tree. Trees will start to bear a few years later (4-5 years) due to pushing its energy into growing a larger tree. The spacing recommended on full size rootstock is 24'-28', and the spacing on 111 rootstock should be a minimum of 20'.
A second Wildlife Century Tree having similar characteristics with a full drop period in October will be released within the next year or two.
Wildlife Species: Whitetail, Turkey, Grouse and other Birds.
Planting zones 4-8 (with trials in zone 3).
*First photo taken November 17th.
We are excited to start releasing the Death Wish Crabapple from our breeding program. Death Wish was chosen from cross-breeding crabs we identified as being over 100-years old with extraordinary height and large diameters (27"-30+"), and were located near the northern most parts of the country, closer to the Canadian border. Death was chosen out of these trials to be our first Wildlife Century Tree. This tree has shown extremely dense cropping, self pollination, cold hardiness and is very disease resistant, including high resistance to Fireblight. Its crabs average 1"-1.15" in diameter and slowly start to drop in late October. The main dropping period begins in November through December. Death Wish has shown some semi-weeping characteristics, which seem to allow for the weight associated with dense cropping, eliminating limb break potential. Budded 1-year trees push a thin, tall solid whip in the nursery.
Currently we're releasing a limited number on larger 111 rootstock. We've also began budding trees for Spring 2026 on to full size rootstock, which will allow for the maximum large potential of this extraordinary tree. Trees will start to bear a few years later (4-5 years) due to pushing its energy into growing a larger tree. The spacing recommended on full size rootstock is 24'-28', and the spacing on 111 rootstock should be a minimum of 20'.
A second Wildlife Century Tree having similar characteristics with a full drop period in October will be released within the next year or two.
Wildlife Species: Whitetail, Turkey, Grouse and other Birds.
Planting zones 4-8 (with trials in zone 3).
*First photo taken November 17th.
We are excited to start releasing the Death Wish Crabapple from our breeding program. Death Wish was chosen from cross-breeding crabs we identified as being over 100-years old with extraordinary height and large diameters (27"-30+"), and were located near the northern most parts of the country, closer to the Canadian border. Death was chosen out of these trials to be our first Wildlife Century Tree. This tree has shown extremely dense cropping, self pollination, cold hardiness and is very disease resistant, including high resistance to Fireblight. Its crabs average 1"-1.15" in diameter and slowly start to drop in late October. The main dropping period begins in November through December. Death Wish has shown some semi-weeping characteristics, which seem to allow for the weight associated with dense cropping, eliminating limb break potential. Budded 1-year trees push a thin, tall solid whip in the nursery.
Currently we're releasing a limited number on larger 111 rootstock. We've also began budding trees for Spring 2026 on to full size rootstock, which will allow for the maximum large potential of this extraordinary tree. Trees will start to bear a few years later (4-5 years) due to pushing its energy into growing a larger tree. The spacing recommended on full size rootstock is 24'-28', and the spacing on 111 rootstock should be a minimum of 20'.
A second Wildlife Century Tree having similar characteristics with a full drop period in October will be released within the next year or two.
Wildlife Species: Whitetail, Turkey, Grouse and other Birds.
Planting zones 4-8 (with trials in zone 3).
*First photo taken November 17th.