Michigan’s Ghost Apples Look Like Something Out of a Frosty Fairytale

There’s nothing more terrifying for a Michigander than watching the apple orchards go bare as winter takes hold. No more fresh cider, no more crisp Honeycrisps—just the long, bleak stretch of freezing months ahead. But not all apples disappear completely. Some cling to the trees in the most hauntingly beautiful way.

Welcome to the eerie world of ghost apples, a rare phenomenon that occasionally graces the Fruit Ridge area of Kent County.

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These icy apparitions form when freezing rain encases the last, rotting apples of the season in a crystal-clear shell. As the apple itself softens and slips away, the frozen shell remains, hanging delicately from the branches like a spectral echo of fall.

Here’s a great example of what they look like, posted recently by Robinette’s in Kent County:

The result? Perfectly hollow, apple-shaped ice sculptures that look like nature’s own magic trick. Ghost apples are fleeting, appearing only under the perfect mix of freezing rain and just the right amount of decay. They’re a strange, chilly reminder that winter has fully settled in—but also a mesmerizing sight that makes you appreciate Michigan’s unpredictable beauty.

So, if you’re wandering through the orchards on a bitter winter day and spot these transparent apples dangling in the frost, take a moment to enjoy the eerie wonder of ghost apples. After all, they’re the only apples we’ll get until spring decides to set us free.