This is a very cold hardy tree (to -30°F) that bears early and has a long bloom period, making it a great pollenizer for other trees. It is also a very productive tree, but it will need thinning to maintain fruit size and annual bearing. Wealthy is susceptible to scab, powdery mildew, and fireblight, and it is very susceptible to cedar-apple rust.

Beautiful, bright red, and juicy, Wealthy is an excellent multi-use apple that can be eaten fresh or used for sauce. For baking, it is ideally picked slightly underripe as the flesh quickly softens and becomes spongy when ripe. The medium-large fruit has a blocky shape and the flavor is sweet-tart with notes of berry and citrus.

The first of Minnesota's cold-hardy apples, Wealthy was the creation of Peter Gideon, who settled in Minnestoa, near Lake Minnetonka in 1853. Determined to have apples in his new home, he promptly planted thousands of seeds from his native Illinois, and when none succeeded, he ordered more seeds from Maine. Finally, after about ten years, he got lucky with a Siberian Crab cross that he named Wealthy, after his wife. By the early 20th century, Wealthy was one of the most commonly grown apples in North America. Peter Gideon, whose charming eulogy mentions how, at his lowest point, he spent his last dollars on apple seeds rather than buy clothes, went on to found the apple breeding program at the University of Minnesota. This program has since produced the modern era's most sought-after apple, the Honeycrisp. Wealthy is itself a parent of Haralson, another cultivar from the University of Minnesota.