Wolf River is a old variety that has disease-resistance comparable to that of modern cultivars. It is resistant to scab, canker, and powdery mildew, but susceptible to fireblight. The tree is very vigorous, long-lived, and extremely cold hardy, with an upright-spreading habit that is also somewhat straggly. Slow to bear, it will be reliable and productive once it starts to crop.

The biggest apple I've ever picked was a Wolf River. It was alarmingly large, the size of a small melon, and it was placed on a table as a centerpiece for all to admire. No one dared cut into the monster, which is just as well, since these apples are really best baked rather than eaten fresh. Wolf River has an unremarkable subacid flavor and dry flesh, but it is this dryness has made it a favorite for pies, sauce, baking whole, and drying, especially in the Midwest. It should be picked slightly underripe, as the fruit tends to rot if left on the tree. It will not store well for any appreciable length of time.

This apple was brought to Wisconsin's Wolf River from Quebec in 1856 by a man called William Springer. It is likely that Wolf River is a seedling of Alexander, an extremely cold-hardy tree from Russia.