Oh, it kept growing -- put out new branches, leafed out nicely, and looked reasonably healthy, although it did develop a distinct list to one side thanks to wind and snow. But that's all it did.
This spring it finally bloomed. There must have been a good dozen blossoms on the shrub. Who knows? I might have gotten lucky and harvested enough for a pie. No such luck.
The apple pictured is The Apple, the full extent of the tree's yield for this year. Considering that it was the only apple to make it through the summer, one would have expected it be a tad larger. It is perhaps the size of a tennis ball. After waiting through five summers for the tree to produce something that apple had better be edible.
On the positive side, it does come close to being a perfect apple. No blemishes and no sign that codling moth larvae have tried turning it into a condo. It looks good, albeit a tad lonely.
Wolf River, for those who are interested in such things, is a heritage variety. It dates back to the 1870's and is known for its cold hardiness and natural resistance to fire blight, mildew, and scab. I would have preferred to plant a standard size instead of a dwarf but when I spotted a Wolf River for sale at Shopko I grabbed it despite its diminutive stature.
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