It takes a long time to grow apple seeds into bearing trees and then to harvest and evaluate the resulting fruits. We've been doing that very consistently for 32 years, and we're being rewarded with exceptionally high-quality, unique, exciting apples!
We call our collection "Topper's Apples." The extended discussion of Roxtar below is meant to inform and entertain you. There are more than two dozen varieties in the collection. We've written about Topper's Apples and many other varieties, as listed on the apple index page.
You'll pick up the flavor of our apple world at Sponsel's Minnesota Harvest as you visit the varieties, because the writings are as diverse as the apples they describe. We invite you to click around and read them all.

Glossary of Apple Terms | Apple index page | Apple picking dates page

Roxtar is brand-spankin' new in the apple world. Other than our original seedling, which is around twenty-five years old, the first generation trees have grown apples for only three years.

Roxtar is solid as a rock, has what we call a star shape, and derives its name in part from the spirit of Blaxtayman, a strain of the Stayman apple that, like our Doc and Scarlet O'Haralson apple varieties, is so dark red they call it black (Blaxtayman is a morph for Black Stayman and was the 201st apple to receive a plant patent. Now there are more than 11,000!). We've named Roxtar with the "x" spelling because we have felt for a long time that the "x" spelling of Blaxtayman made it one of the apple kingdom's best names ever. Now Roxtar is, too.

Visually, Roxtar just makes you want to take a bite. It's strong, built, and seems to be bursting at the seams with its irregular five-sided construction. It has an awesome-looking bottom end with a deep cavern and powerful rim, a barrel-to-blocky body, and big, broad shoulders.

To go with those serious attraction factors, this star has flavor in the broad appeal zone. Nice and melodious. You'll be hearing more from Roxtar!

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