Wyoming Apple Project Website

Wyoming Apple Project

The Wyoming Apple Project was established to document and preserve historic apple diversity across the state of Wyoming. Through field surveys of abandoned homesteads, historic orchards, and early settlement plantings dating from the late 1800s to early 1900s, leaf samples were collected and analyzed using SSR-based DNA fingerprinting. These efforts identified 47 known apple cultivars and more than 140 unique genotypes still surviving in Wyoming landscapes.

The project aimed to preserve heritage apple genetics while improving understanding of which cultivars have historically demonstrated cold tolerance, drought resilience, and long-term survival in Wyoming’s harsh climate. Identified cultivars and unique genotypes contribute valuable information for regional fruit production, conservation orchards, and future breeding efforts.

Ongoing outreach efforts have included educational workshops, grafting demonstrations, and the development of propagation resources to help landowners and communities preserve historic apple trees. Additional work has focused on relocating historically significant cultivars into a conservation orchard in Sheridan, Wyoming, ensuring long-term preservation of these genetic resources.

Together, these efforts help document the agricultural history of Wyoming while supporting the conservation and continued cultivation of heritage apple varieties adapted to the region.