Sweet Sixteen Apple

Flavor Profile

• Intensely sweet with notes of sugar cane, spicy cherry candy, licorice, and bourbon vanilla
• Crisp, juicy texture with firm flesh—excellent for fresh eating
• High sugar content and minimal acidity appeal to dessert apple lovers

Appearance

• A large, round, conic apple
• Skin: Yellow base overlaid with vibrant red-pink stripes and raised lenticels
• Flesh: Cream to light orange-yellow, crisp, and juicy

Harvest & Storage

• Ripening: Mid to late September in most climates
• Storage life: 5–8 weeks at 32–40°F; handle gently to avoid bruising

Tree Characteristics

• Growth habit: Vigorous, upright-spreading form
• Climatic adaptation: Thrives in USDA Zones 4–7; suitable for northern climates

Disease Resistance & Care

• Good resistance to fire blight and apple scab; moderate susceptibility to cedar apple rust and powdery mildew
• Pest considerations: Monitor for aphids, codling moth, and plum curculio; maintain air circulation through pruning

Pollination

• Self-sterile; requires cross-pollination from mid-season apple cultivars flowering at the same time (e.g., Honeycrisp, Jonathan)

Origin & Heritage

Developed at the University of Minnesota in 1977 through a cross of Northern Spy and Malinda; released for commercial propagation shortly thereafter