Horticulturalist Peter Gideon grew the first Wealthy apple tree in 1868. Gideon sent the family's last dollars to an apple grower in Bangor, Maine, and got a bushel of apple seeds in return. Just one of these seeds, crossed with Gideon's Siberian crab apple, produced the apple that Gideon later named the  apple Wealthy. This Fall/Winter apple is a multi-purpose apple that is a medium to large fruit and more flat than round. The compact trees grow fruits with bright red skin overlaid on a green-yellow background. The white-colored flesh is soft, crisp, and very juicy with interesting notes. The sharp and refreshing flavor tends toward vinous, and the best fruits have notes of honey, strawberries, and raspberries. The tree produces a many beautiful pink and white flowers in the spring, so is a good pollinator option for other apple trees. Wealthy trees are so prolific that they often produces fruit the first year, though they tend to produce biennially. It is especially good for cooking, such as pies, crisps, sauces and delicious juicing and for cider. You can also use this variety for canning and preserving. Wealthy often bears fruit early and stores for 2-3 months.  Early Bloomer.