A tasty and rugged dessert apple found growing on a sucker from a neglected ornamental crab near an entrance ramp to Interstate 95 by fruit explorer Jack Kertesz. Propagated by fellow fruit enthusiast Tom Vigue before the highway crew cut down the original tree after it suffered severe storm damage. Medium-large round-conic slightly ribbed fruit is yellow with a red blush and darker red broken stripes and blotches. Reminiscent of Red Delicious in appearance only—I-95 offers a superior eating experience than its presumed parent.

Crisp flesh has a balanced sweet-tart flavor for good fresh eating and great dried apples. Stores into the winter. Skin can be a bit tough and dry, but it’s a fair trade-off for a high-quality apple that needs little care. Jack has always been “intrigued by wild fruit that isn’t insect infested and can grow under unfavorable conditions,” which is what drew him to this one. Tom reports that in his no-spray orchard “I-95 is not susceptible to the wide range of problems that plague its likely parent… It produces a high percentage of dessert-quality fruit without intervention.” Blooms midseason. Z4.