The Lost Apple Project

07/17/2026

Want to identify your apples?
DNA services are available. Just click on this website for info.
(Note this is a new web address for the WSU “myfruitetreeDOTorg”)

CAHNRS Network Sites > MyFruitTree Project Welcome to WSU’s MyFruitTree Project Helping you name and value your U.S.-grown apple trees! What’s that tree? Have or know of an old apple tree that you would like to identify? Misnamed or missing-named family heirloom? The MyFruitTree project exists t...

07/11/2026

The Lost Apple Project will be a vendor at the Lavender Festival at S & L Lavender Farm (5307 East Chattaroy Rd, Chattaroy, WA) on Saturday and Sunday, July 11 and 12. Stop by and see us as we answer questions and sell once lost apple trees!

07/08/2026

Apple trees ordered this spring are ready to go home soon and we have quite a few extra trees that anyone can purchase. Former once lost apples Shackleford, Butter Sweet of Pennsylvania, Ewalt, Frazier Prolific, and Jacob Sweet are available as well as the just discovered Walbridge. Each tree is $35. Here is the link to an article on how the Walbridge was found.
https://news.wsu.edu/news/2026/06/02/wsu-student-finds-lost-apple-variety-on-study-break/
We also have some rare apples like Fall Pippin and Washington Royal that ripen in September and Palouse, and Spokane Beauty that ripen in October. Here is a link to a document that describes most of the above apples.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Bd-p465gLZYwJjXxQCXWN0QHmPwbopJt/edit

Please email me at [email protected] to order trees!

07/01/2026

2026 Lost Apple Project Newsletter and lost apple rediscovery

Read below the exiting rediscovery of the Walbridge apple! This once lost apple has been searched for for the past 13 years from Maine to Canada to Colorado and Washington. The search by many schools and organizations led to Walbridge trees in Colorado and Washington.

06/16/2026

It's that time of year! If you haven't done so already, this week you should go out to your apple trees and thin the apples. I will use this quotation from Stark Bros: "When you thin your apples, break up any fruit clusters so that one choice fruit remains. It's usually wise to leave the fruit from the “king bloom”, or the middle bloom in the cluster of flowers, since it is the best candidate for developing into a large, healthy apple. Leave about 6-8 inches between remaining fruit."
What is the "King bloom"? Take a look at the picture below... the King bloom is apple #1 and is usually in the middle and will have a thicker stem. Thinning is really important if your trees don't self thin very well. You will get noticeably larger fruit by thinning.

05/11/2026

Esteemed apple hunter, researcher, author, and all-around apple expert, John Bunker found his way to eastern Washington last week. John came from Maine’s forests to experience the Palouse country with rolling hills of grain. Cameron Peace of Washington State University was his main es**rt to show John the genetic research the university is conducting. He also spent some time with Lost Apple Project members and a trip to visit three homesteads from the late 1800’s and their nearby family apple orchards. Thank you, John, for sharing your time with us!

John is pictured third from the right in the attached photo.

03/09/2026

Announcing Grafting and Pruning Classes in April

Spangle Grafting Classes in April

If fruit trees are interesting to you, consider coming to a 2 ½ hour fruit tree grafting class this April at Mike Chase’s place just outside of Spangle. He will provide hands-on experiences in preparing, placing, securing, and wrapping the two major kinds of bench grafts, the whip-and-tongue graft and the cleft graft. Participants will practice aligning the cambium layers of the scion and the
understock and also covering exposed grafting wounds, both of which are crucial to grafting success. Additionally, the class provides a conceptual understanding of the callusing process and the critical elements of after-care of grafted material. Through the demonstration portion of the class, participants will learn 4 other
techniques: bark graft, cleft graft, side graft, and chip budding. Also they will be able to see mature tree outcomes that demonstrate different methods that have been used to topwork and framework existing fruit trees.

Additional details about the class and resources for preparing for the class are at Mike’s website:
http://thefruithouse.weebly.com
Date & Times (all sessions are identical):
Saturday April 11th 9:00 to 11:30 am
Sunday April 12th 4:00-6:30 pm
Saturday April 18th 9:00 to 11:30 am
Sunday April 19th 4:00-6:30 pm

Location: The Chase farm is located just southeast of Spangle at 3717 E. Keevy Road, Spangle, WA 99031
Cost: $25 (payable to the Lost Apple Project, Whitman County Historical Society). There is a $5 dollar discount on both classes for those taking both the grafting class and the pruning class (see post of information on the pruning class)
Sign Up Procedure: Contact Mike Chase ([email protected] ) to secure your spot in the class at the date/time of your choice.

Spangle Pruning Class In April

Mike Chase will be teaching a fruit tree pruning class this April in an orchard composed of trees ranging in age from recently planted (2026) to 15 year old trees including apples, apricots, cherries, peaches, and plums, with examples of pruning for open center, central leader, multi-leader, and bush. There are many
pruning decisions that need to be made depending on the age and type of tree. The diverse orchard at the Chase Place is a good location for comparing and contrasting the distinctive strategies used for pruning apples, pears and European plums vs. peaches; apricots and Japanese plums vs. cherries; and all
fruit trees vs. landscape trees.

Sign up for the pruning class here: http://thefruithouse.weebly.com The website has many good resources that can be studied before the class, if desired. Especially valuable in the time together with Mike in a very diverse home orchard is being able to compare and contrast the distinctive strategies used for pruning apples, pears, and European plums vs. peaches, apricots, and Japanese plums vs. cherries vs. landscape trees.

Dates & Times (all sessions are identical):
Saturday, April 11th 1:00 to 3:30 am
Sunday, April 12th 1:00 to 3:30 pm
Saturday, April 18th 1:00 to 3:30 pm
Sunday, April 19th 1:00 to 3:30 pm
Location: The Chase farm is located just southeast of Spangle at 3717 E. Keevy Road, Spangle, WA 99031
Cost: $20 (payable to the Lost Apple Project, Whitman County Historical Society). There is a $5 dollar discount on both classes for those taking both the grafting class and the pruning class (see post of information on the grafting class)

Sign Up Procedure:
Contact Mike Chase([email protected] ) to secure your spot in the class at the date/time of your choice.

(Offered by the Lost Apple Project)

01/01/2026

Starting today you can order both apple scions and apple trees from The Lost Apple Project. We are using a new method to order scions and trees so please bear with me. Click the link below to access a document that has ordering info and apple descriptions highlighted in yellow. Hover your mouse over the highlighted yellow text and then click to view the document.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1G86pvu2N3x3-_7MSUIHLtS94l4UEixOz/edit

Fill out the Google form found linked to the above page to order scions. You will not be asked for payment (unless the order is over $100) until we fill your order and are ready to mail your scions. We mail scions to you by mid-March.
You can also order newly grafted trees but they are for local pickup in Spokane and Pullman, Washington and Eagle, Idaho. Once again, no payment is needed until your trees are picked up (unless the order is over $150). Specify if you want M111 (Max 22 feet tall) or M7 (Max 14 feet tall) as your rootstock. Both are considered semi-dwarf.
All scions are $6 and newly grafted trees are $35.
While we carry many once lost varieties, we also have great heritage, cider, and modern cultivars.
Would you like a little help before making your choices? Three vastly underrated apples are Polly Bemis, Kittageskee, and Surprise #1.

If you order a tree, it will be grafted in early April and then the graft needs to heal for a couple of months. We will set up several pick-up locations and dates in Spokane, Pullman, and Eagle (Idaho) beginning around July 1st.
Thank you in advance for your support of The Lost Apple Project!
An average tree grafted in March is 12" tall in June and 30" tall by October. If you have any problems you can email me at [email protected].

Lost Apple Project Scion Sale for 2026 Sale of scions and trees ends on February 1st Details on the Scion Sale for 2026 The Lost Apple Project is delighted to be able to offer scions of apples (old and new), pears, plums, and cherries again this year. There are also grafted apple trees a...

12/23/2025

It's too late now for it to arrive before Christmas ... but if you've had your eye on getting a copy of our book, "Lost Apples: The search for rare and heritage apples in the Pacific Northwest," any orders made in December earn a 10 percent donation to The Lost Apple Project. Plus Keokee Books, the publisher, is offering free shipping.

See more about the book – and if it's of interest, do order before December 31 and we'll get a donation. Thank you, and merry Christmas to all!

Link is in the first comment!

Nonfiction, 288 pages Hardbound 7.5″ x 10.5″, color $38.00. Free shipping! Buy Now by David Benscoter and Linda Hackbarth Nonfiction, 288 pages Hardbound 7.5″ x 10.5″, color $38.00. Free shipping!