{"product_id":"airlie-red-flesh-apple","title":"Airlie Red Flesh Apple (Spring 2027)","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"mft-facts\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAt a glance:\u003c\/strong\u003e Airlie Red Flesh Apple is an apple tree rated hardy to zone 3b in our ratings (winters to -35°F), and not self-fertile, so it needs a different variety nearby as a pollenizer (bloom group 4 of 7, mid for an apple or crabapple).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable class=\"mft-facts-table\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eHardy to\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eZone 3b to 8. The b means the warmer half of zone 3 only (winters to -35°F). Find your zone with our \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/cold-hardiness-calculator\"\u003ecold hardiness calculator\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr class=\"mft-chill\"\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eChill hours\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAbout 1,000 hours (800 to 1,200). Our estimate. No published figure exists for this variety yet. Montana winters give it plenty. In milder climates, make sure your winters average at least this much. \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/chill-hours\"\u003eCheck your chill hours\u003c\/a\u003e or \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/chill-hours-research#airlie-red-flesh-apple\"\u003esee our sources\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003ePollination\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNeeds Cross-Pollination. Bloom group 4 of 7 (mid), late spring here. Plant a different apple or crabapple variety that blooms in groups 3 to 5. It has good pollen, so it can also pollenize other apples blooming at the same time. Good partners we carry: \u003ca href=\"\/products\/otterson-apple\"\u003eOtterson Crabapple\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"\/products\/trail-crabapple\"\u003eTrail Crabapple\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"\/products\/alexander-apple\"\u003eAlexander Apple\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"\/products\/burgundy-apple\"\u003eBurgundy Apple\u003c\/a\u003e and 103 more. Bloom group is our estimate from the variety's origin and relatives. \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/apple-pollination-map\"\u003eApple Pollination Map\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eRootstock and size\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eM26: dwarf to semi-dwarf, about 8 to 14 ft tall unpruned. Stake it the first few years. \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/rootstocks\"\u003eOur rootstock guide\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eGood for\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHard cider (8\/10), winter storage (8\/10), fresh eating (7\/10), salads and slicing (7\/10), juice and sweet cider (7\/10). Scores are our own 1 to 10 ratings; 8 and up makes our Best Of lists.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eDeer\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eA deer favorite. Fence it or cage it.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003cth\u003eWhat you get\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBare root, 3-5 ft. Shipped or picked up in Missoula in spring, roots wrapped in moist sawdust. Guaranteed to bud out.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eOverview\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAirlie Red Flesh is a red-fleshed apple that came up as a chance seedling around Airlie, in Oregon's Willamette Valley, in the mid-1900s (usually dated to the 1960s). Parentage isn't documented. It's also been passed around under the names Newell-Kimzey and Mountain Rose.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFruit Quality \u0026amp; Uses\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAirlie Red Flesh is best known for its striking pink-to-red flesh, which makes it great for fresh slices, salads and anything where color counts. Eating quality lands in the good, crisp, tart-leaning category.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe got our grafting wood from Rod McIver, and the grower he got it from put it this way: it's not anyone's favorite apple, but everyone agrees it's a good apple. Rod says it's like a Granny Smith that actually has flavor, and a quality one at that. Luke thought the flavor was certainly good when he tried it for the first time on October 19th, 2023 at Rod's. The color and acidity make it useful for juice and cider too, though it really shines as a fresh apple that's both a novelty and genuinely good.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCold Hardiness\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePublished hardiness for this apple is usually given as a zone range rather than a verified kill temperature, and those ratings tend to sit around zone 4. What matters most for Montana is direct local observation: Airlie Red Flesh came through about −35°F unscathed at Rod McIver's off Rose Crossing in Kalispell, Montana on January 13, 2024. One event doesn't prove a hard lower limit for every site and rootstock, but it does back up treating it as legitimately cold-tolerant in northwest Montana when it's properly acclimated and sited. So we list Airlie Red Flesh as a solid zone 3b apple.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eOther Notable Characteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst off, Airlie Red Flesh is an excellent keeper. The photo was taken the first week of March, 5 months after the apple came off the tree in Kalispell, and it hadn't shown any sign of breakdown yet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe red flesh is the headline, but the real value is that it pairs that novelty with good crispness and a tart profile a lot of people enjoy. If you like Granny Smith but want more character (and dramatic color), this one fits that niche. And it's a whole lot hardier than a Granny Smith.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"mft-faq\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eQuestions we get about Airlie Red Flesh Apple\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eDoes Airlie Red Flesh Apple need a pollenizer?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes. Airlie Red Flesh Apple needs pollen from a different variety that blooms at about the same time. Plant a different apple or crabapple variety that blooms in groups 3 to 5. It has good pollen, so it can also pollenize other apples blooming at the same time. Partners we carry include \u003ca href=\"\/products\/otterson-apple\"\u003eOtterson Crabapple\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"\/products\/trail-crabapple\"\u003eTrail Crabapple\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"\/products\/alexander-apple\"\u003eAlexander Apple\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eHow cold hardy is Airlie Red Flesh Apple?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe rate Airlie Red Flesh Apple hardy to zone 3b, which means winters down to about -35°F. Our ratings come from real winters at our two Montana sites and from trusted growers across the North, not from a catalog average.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eHow many chill hours does Airlie Red Flesh Apple need?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAbout 1,000 hours of winter chill (we count hours at or below 45°F), likely somewhere between 800 and 1,200. Nobody has published a chill figure for it, so that's our estimate from its relatives and origin. Our \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/chill-hours\"\u003echill hours guide\u003c\/a\u003e has a calculator for your winters, and our \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/chill-hours-research#airlie-red-flesh-apple\"\u003eresearch page\u003c\/a\u003e lists the sources.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eHow big does Airlie Red Flesh Apple get?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe graft Airlie Red Flesh Apple onto M26 (dwarf to semi-dwarf), which makes a tree roughly 8 to 14 ft tall if you never prune it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eWhat is Airlie Red Flesh Apple good for?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOur top use scores for Airlie Red Flesh Apple are hard cider (8\/10), winter storage (8\/10), fresh eating (7\/10), salads and slicing (7\/10). Anything scored 8 or higher makes our Best Of lists.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eWill deer eat Airlie Red Flesh Apple?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes, deer love it. Protect Airlie Red Flesh Apple with a fence or a cage, especially while it is young.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eWhat arrives, and when does Airlie Red Flesh Apple ship?\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA dormant bare-root plant, roots wrapped in moist sawdust with a vapor barrier, shipped or picked up in Missoula in spring. Sizes offered: 3-5 ft. We guarantee our plants bud out. Stone fruits can be slow, so if one still has not budded out by August 15, write to us and we credit you for the following spring.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Montana Fruit Trees","offers":[{"title":"M26 Semi-Dwarf: 3-5 ft. (2 Years Older)","offer_id":43010503737410,"sku":null,"price":64.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0626\/5687\/2514\/files\/airlie-red-flesh-apple-cut.jpg?v=1793138320","url":"https:\/\/www.montanafruittrees.com\/products\/airlie-red-flesh-apple","provider":"Montana Fruit Trees","version":"1.0","type":"link"}