This tree is vigorous, upright-spreading, productive, and hardy. It is susceptible to fireblight.

Opalescent is a very large apple; it is often compared to Twenty Ounce with the notable difference being that Opalescent is washed with a brilliant red over a yellow background. The apple is slightly ribbed and sometimes lopsided. The crimson exterior is dotted with small, prominent lenticels and tends to be waxy, and the flesh is creamy, crisp, and subacid to sweet. Tasters find floral and tropical notes, sometimes a hint of strawberries. In its day, this was considered one of the best culinary apples available. It stores well for about two months.

George Hudson in Hastings, Michigan first discovered Opalescent in the 1880s growing as a seedling near some oak stumps he was digging out. Hudson eventually submitted specimens of the apple to the USDA, and the name Hastings (after the town it was found) was chosen for the new variety. Before it was made public, however, Dayton Star Nurseries introduced the variety under the name Opalescent in 1899.