North Star Orchard grows and markets specialty apples from unique cultivars during their natural seasons. As the apple industry shifted toward managed cultivars, our access to new and interesting varieties became increasingly limited. In response, we began developing our own.

Our original goal was to replace our existing cultivars with unique apples well adapted to our farm, spanning the full marketing season and suited to organic production in the eastern United States. While many heirloom varieties offer flavors and characteristics we admire, they often come with significant production challenges. Over time, our focus shifted toward breeding apples with distinctive flavors and a rustic appearance—what we think of as “modern heirlooms”—a space largely overlooked by other breeding programs.

Located in the hot, humid Mid-Atlantic, North Star Orchard places a strong emphasis on disease resistance. Wherever possible, we incorporated resistant genetics and selected aggressively against disease-susceptible seedlings.

Current Night Sky Apples cultivars are released openly and are not patented—anyone is welcome to propagate them. However, these apples are generally not intended for large-scale commercial production. Many have production challenges, cosmetic imperfections, or both. While they perform well within our own growing and marketing system, they may not be suitable for every orchard. We encourage growers to read each description carefully and trial varieties on a small scale. All evaluations are based on our experience to date and are offered honestly and transparently.