Ashmead's Kernel Apple Tree | Bare Root, Zone 3b

Russeted Ashmead's Kernel apples with an orange blush

Ashmead's Kernel Apple (Spring 2027)

$89.99

Reliable shipping

Flexible returns

Pollination Needs a partnerTriploid

Bloom group 5 of 7 (Mid-Late)

See trees that will pollenize it Apple Pollination Map

Ripening

Will it finish before your first hard freeze?

Check it on the Ripening Map (opens in a new tab)

Disease resistanceResists 1 of 4

Apple scab : Moderate, 3 of 5
Cedar-apple rust : Resistant, 4 of 5
Fire blight : Moderate, 3 of 5
Powdery mildew : Susceptible, 2 of 5

Scored 1 to 5. Higher resists better, and ? means no published data yet.

See it on our apple disease chart (opens in a new tab)

At a glance: Ashmead's Kernel Apple is an apple tree rated hardy to zone 3b in our ratings (winters to -35°F), not self-fertile, so it needs a different variety nearby as a pollenizer (bloom group 5 of 7, mid-late for an apple or crabapple), and it ripens about Oct 6 to Oct 18 in Missoula (our Missoula estimate).

Hardy to	Zone 3b to 8. The b means the warmer half of zone 3 only (winters to -35°F). Find your zone with our cold hardiness calculator.
Chill hours	About 900 hours (800 to 1,000). Well documented. Independent sources agree. Montana winters give it plenty. In milder climates, make sure your winters average at least this much. Check your chill hours or see our sources.
Pollination	Needs Cross-Pollination. Bloom group 5 of 7 (mid-late), late spring here. This is a triploid, so its pollen is poor and it can't pollenize other trees. Plant two different apple or crabapple varieties with good pollen that bloom in groups 4 to 6. Good partners we carry: Black Oxford Apple, Honeycrisp Apple, Northern Spy Apple, Oriole Apple and 71 more. Apple Pollination Map.
Ripens	About Oct 6 to Oct 18 in Missoula (a Missoula estimate from published sources). Real years swing about a week either way. See the date for your town.
Rootstock and size	Bud 118: semi-dwarf in our dry Montana soils, semi-standard on paper, about 12 to 18 ft tall unpruned. Stands on its own, few suckers. Our rootstock guide.
Good for	Fresh eating (9/10), juice and sweet cider (8/10), hard cider (7/10), winter storage (7/10). Scores are our own 1 to 10 ratings; 8 and up makes our Best Of lists.
Deer	A deer favorite. Fence it or cage it.
What you get	Bare root, 5-7 ft. Shipped or picked up in Missoula in spring, roots wrapped in moist sawdust. Guaranteed to bud out.

Origin & Discovery

Discovered in the early part of the 18th century in Gloucestershire England, Ashmead’s Kernel is famous for its funky, russeted appearance and complex flavor.

Appearance

This is the kind of apple that makes people wonder if it’s actually an apple, to which I would ask whether they have ever only eaten store bought apples!

Flavor Profile

Its woody texture combined with its floral and almost tropical fruit flavor is something to behold.

Our First Tasting

We finally tried it for the first time in Fall 2023 from Rod McIver’s Orchard in Kalispell and it was worth the wait.

Cold-Hardiness & Adaptability

Rod’s property is a solid zone 4, with rare events that can even hit -35F, which (in our experience in Western Montana) means that Ashmead’s is one of the most adaptable of all the English varieties (maybe tied with Ribston). Should not be planted in Eastern Montana with the exception perhaps Billings and some of the warmer surrounding valleys.

Photos: “Ashmead's Kernel Apples” by orchidgalore, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY 2.0. “Apple 'Ashmead's Kernel'” and “Apple tree 'Ashmead's Kernel'” by Tiggins Meadow, via Flickr (1, 2), licensed CC BY 2.0.

Questions we get about Ashmead's Kernel Apple

Does Ashmead's Kernel Apple need a pollenizer?

Yes. Ashmead's Kernel Apple needs pollen from a different variety that blooms at about the same time. This is a triploid, so its pollen is poor and it can't pollenize other trees. Plant two different apple or crabapple varieties with good pollen that bloom in groups 4 to 6. Partners we carry include Black Oxford Apple, Honeycrisp Apple, Northern Spy Apple.

How cold hardy is Ashmead's Kernel Apple?

We rate Ashmead's Kernel 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.

How many chill hours does Ashmead's Kernel Apple need?

About 900 hours of winter chill (we count hours at or below 45°F), likely somewhere between 800 and 1,000. That figure is well documented: independent sources agree. Ashmead's Kernel needs about 800 to 1,000 chill hours. Montana winters supply far more. Our chill hours guide has a calculator for your winters, and our research page lists the sources.

When does Ashmead's Kernel Apple ripen?

About Oct 6 to Oct 18 in Missoula, Montana (an estimate built from published sources and our climate). Warmer places run earlier and cooler places later; our ripening map converts the date to your town.

How big does Ashmead's Kernel Apple get?

We graft Ashmead's Kernel Apple onto Bud 118 (semi-dwarf in our dry Montana soils, semi-standard on paper), which makes a tree roughly 12 to 18 ft tall if you never prune it.

What is Ashmead's Kernel Apple good for?

Our top use scores for Ashmead's Kernel Apple are fresh eating (9/10), juice and sweet cider (8/10), hard cider (7/10), winter storage (7/10). Anything scored 8 or higher makes our Best Of lists.

Is Ashmead's Kernel Apple disease resistant?

For some diseases, yes. It's resistant to cedar-apple rust. It holds up moderately well against apple scab and fire blight. It's prone to powdery mildew. Our apple disease resistance chart has every rating, the notes and the sources.

Will deer eat Ashmead's Kernel Apple?

Yes, deer love it. Protect Ashmead's Kernel Apple with a fence or a cage, especially while it is young.

Pollination partners

Trees that will pollenize Ashmead's Kernel Apple

Ashmead's Kernel Apple needs a different apple or crabapple nearby to set fruit. Every tree below blooms at the same time and has pollen that works for it. Plant partners within about 100 feet.

Ashmead's Kernel Apple is a triploid. Its pollen is poor, so it can't pollenize these back. Plant two of them so every tree in the planting gets pollenized.

Bloom group 5 of 7 (Mid-Late)

Pollination Needs a partner

Pollen Poor (triploid)

75 trees we carry will pollenize it. Showing the best matches, in-stock first.