Specialty Crop

University of Wyoming Department of Botany Professor Steve Miller and others in 2017 planted an apple germplasm repository orchard at the Sheridan Research and Extension Center (see ShREC listing in Sheridan County section). This project followed a study led by Miller to locate historic apple orchards in Wyoming (some of them are more than 100 years old), and then to identify as many cultivars as possible using molecular methods.

He and his team took samples from approximately 1,000 historic and heirloom apple trees across the state, and positively identified 30 cultivars. Pieces of woody growth collected from trees were grafted onto Antonovka rootstock, and in 2017 he and others planted 2- to 4-year-old saplings at the newly established repository orchard at ShREC. Additional saplings have been planted at a new apple orchard at the Wyoming State Fairgrounds.

The ultimate goal is to save as many historic and heirloom varieties as possible, and eventually make those varieties available to nurseries and others. Landowners having historic apple trees on their property can help in this endeavor (see Wyoming Apple Project listing in Resources section).