Firecracker™ Apple

Malus domestica ‘Firecracker’

Originally known as Bill’s Red Flesh Crab, and Scarlet Surprise, Firecracker™crabapple offers an intense, sweet-tart explosion of flavor! Its deep red peel and flesh makes it a standout for salads and desserts, but in for juice and hard cider production is where it really shines. The flavor changes noticeably as the fruit matures, starting with notes of raspberry, grapefruit and even pumpkin; then sweetening and developing a distinct strawberry character. The red tendency is dominant in this apple, with not only the skin and flesh but also the new leaves, wood, and blossoms all having a very pronounced red stain to them. 

With a slender and somewhat weeping form in the landscape, Firecracker™ produces abundant crops of small fruit, usually 2.5″x2″ most years, with some tendency toward biennial bearing. Blooms early, and considered a poor pollinator, so make sure there are other varieties around to get the party started! 

Hardy to USDA Zone: 3

Mature Height: 8′-12′ (Dwarf)

Sun: Full Sun

Bloom Time: Early Season, Bloom Group 1

Ripening Time: Early – September in PNW

Pollination: Needs a Pollinizer

Dwarf Rootstock: EMLA 26