Bitterroot McIntosh x Spartan Apple | Bare Root, Zone 3

A Bitterroot McIntosh x Spartan apple held in hand

Bitterroot McIntosh x Spartan Apple (Bundle of 2)

$44.99

Reliable shipping

Flexible returns

Pollination Needs a partner

Bloom group 4 of 7 (Mid)

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)

On video

Overlooked Way to Grow Fruit Trees for Your Local Climate (plays in a pop-up)
10 min video
Full description
Best Way to Germinate Apple Seeds: Winter Sowing Method (plays in a pop-up)
2 min video
Full description

At a glance: Bitterroot McIntosh x Spartan Apple is an apple tree rated hardy to zone 3 in our ratings (winters to -40°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).

Hardy to	Zone 3 to 7. A bare number means the whole of zone 3, colder half included (winters to -40°F). Find your zone with our cold hardiness calculator.
Pollination	Needs Cross-Pollination. Bloom group 4 of 7 (mid), late spring here. Not self-fertile. Every seedling is a different tree, so plant a different named apple or crabapple nearby that blooms in groups 3 to 5 on our chart to be sure of a good pollenizer. Good partners we carry: Otterson Crabapple, Trail Crabapple, Alexander Apple, Burgundy Apple and 103 more. Bloom group is our estimate from the variety's origin and relatives. Apple Pollination Map.
Good for	Sauce and butter (6/10), juice and sweet cider (6/10), hard cider (6/10). 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, 1-2 ft or 2-3 ft or 3-4 ft. Shipped or picked up in Missoula in spring, roots wrapped in moist sawdust. Guaranteed to bud out.

Bitterroot McIntosh Seedlings: Local, Hardy, and Full of Potential

These seedlings originate from local Bitterroot McIntosh trees at Al and Mary Pernichele’s Frost Top Orchard in Corvallis, Montana.

Likely Mac x Spartan Parentage

While we refer to these as Mac x Spartan crosses, they were open-pollinated in an orchard containing only Spartan and McIntosh trees. Although we can’t confirm with 100% certainty that Spartan is the pollen parent, it is very likely.

Genetic Background and Potential

We believe some of these seedlings have the potential to become excellent named varieties. With approximately 75% McIntosh genetics (50% from McIntosh directly, plus another 25% from Spartan—one of whose parents is McIntosh), that leaves only 25% of the genetics unaccounted for.

While apples do exhibit genetic variability, Luke has personally found McIntosh seedlings that have retained many of the desirable traits of the original. At a minimum, these trees could become great cider apples—and possibly more.

Cold Hardiness

Both Spartan and McIntosh are Zone 3 apples, known for their fair degree of hardiness. As a result, these seedlings are expected to be hardy to -40°F, and possibly even colder.

Questions we get about Bitterroot McIntosh x Spartan Apple

Does Bitterroot McIntosh x Spartan Apple need a pollenizer?

Yes. Bitterroot McIntosh x Spartan Apple needs pollen from a different variety that blooms at about the same time. Not self-fertile. Every seedling is a different tree, so plant a different named apple or crabapple nearby that blooms in groups 3 to 5 on our chart to be sure of a good pollenizer. Partners we carry include Otterson Crabapple, Trail Crabapple, Alexander Apple.

How cold hardy is Bitterroot McIntosh x Spartan Apple?

We rate Bitterroot McIntosh x Spartan Apple hardy to zone 3, which means winters down to about -40°F. Our ratings come from real winters at our two Montana sites and from trusted growers across the North, not from a catalog average.

What is Bitterroot McIntosh x Spartan Apple good for?

Our top use scores for Bitterroot McIntosh x Spartan Apple are sauce and butter (6/10), juice and sweet cider (6/10), hard cider (6/10).

Will deer eat Bitterroot McIntosh x Spartan Apple?

Yes, deer love it. Protect Bitterroot McIntosh x Spartan Apple with a fence or a cage, especially while it is young.

What arrives, and when does Bitterroot McIntosh x Spartan Apple ship?

A dormant bare-root plant, roots wrapped in moist sawdust with a vapor barrier, shipped or picked up in Missoula in spring. Sizes offered: 1-2 ft or 2-3 ft or 3-4 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.

Pollination partners

Trees that will pollenize Bitterroot McIntosh x Spartan Apple

Bitterroot McIntosh x Spartan 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.

Bloom group 4 of 7 (Mid)

Pollination Needs a partner

Pollen Not tested yet

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