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Fruit from a Chestnut applecrab seedling held in hand
  • Fruit from a Chestnut applecrab seedling held in hand
  • Fruit from a Chestnut applecrab seedling held in hand
Chestnut Applecrab Seedling (Bundle of 2)

Chestnut Applecrab Seedling (Bundle of 2)

$44.99
Size

Reliable shipping

Flexible returns
Pollination Needs a partner
Bloom group 2 of 7 (Early)
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 resistanceNot tested yet
  • Apple scab : Unknown, no published data yet
  • Cedar-apple rust : Unknown, no published data yet
  • Fire blight : Unknown, no published data yet
  • Powdery mildew : Unknown, no published data yet

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

See it on our crabapple disease chart (opens in a new tab)
On video

At a glance: Chestnut Applecrab Seedling is an applecrab tree rated hardy to zone 2 in our ratings (winters to -50°F), and not self-fertile, so it needs a different variety nearby as a pollenizer (bloom group 2 of 7, early for an apple or crabapple).

Hardy to Zone 2 to 8. A bare number means the whole of zone 2, colder half included (winters to -50°F). Find your zone with our cold hardiness calculator.
Chill hours About 750 hours (550 to 1,000). Seedlings vary, so this is based on the parent tree. 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 2 of 7 (early), 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 2 to 4 on our chart to be sure of a good pollenizer. Good partners we carry: Dolgo Crabapple (Bundle of 2), Chestnut Applecrab, Crimson Beauty Apple, Lodi Apple and 42 more. Bloom group is our estimate from the variety's origin and relatives. Apple Pollination Map.
Good for Sauce and butter (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 Less than 6" Seedlings or 4-8" Seedlings. Shipped or picked up in Missoula in spring, roots wrapped in moist sawdust. Guaranteed to bud out.

Chestnut is a sweet, early-ripening applecrab from the University of Minnesota, offering smooth, nutty, bubblegum-tinged flavor and exceptional hardiness to around –50°F. It ripens in early September in Missoula. Truly one of our favorites for fresh eating, it also stores well for months on end.

All that said, the above info is for Chestnut Applecrab, and not for these seedlings. The Chestnut parent will certainly comprise 50% of the genetics, whereas the other 50% depends on the pollen parent.

Genetics of These Seedlings

Chestnut’s parentage comes from a 50/50 cross between Malinda apple (50%) and Siberian Crab (50%), making it a true applecrab with equal (or at least approximately equal) genetic contribution from both sides. Because these seedlings are open-pollinated, the pollen parent is unknown, but in an orchard dominated by apples, the odds strongly favor an apple as the pollenizer—meaning these seedlings may lean genetically toward ~75% apple and ~25% crabapple, which would likely result in larger fruit, sweeter flavor, and a more apple-like character overall.

There is still a possibility that a crabapple was the pollen parent, which would shift the proportions in the opposite direction—potentially 50–75% crabapple genetics—and produce seedlings with smaller but intensely flavored fruit, higher sugars, strong color, and exceptional cold hardiness. Each seedling represents a unique genetic blend shaped by Chestnut’s balanced applecrab heritage and the unknown pollen source.

Questions we get about Chestnut Applecrab Seedling

Does Chestnut Applecrab Seedling need a pollenizer?

Yes. Chestnut Applecrab Seedling 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 2 to 4 on our chart to be sure of a good pollenizer. Partners we carry include Dolgo Crabapple (Bundle of 2), Chestnut Applecrab, Crimson Beauty Apple.

How cold hardy is Chestnut Applecrab Seedling?

We rate Chestnut Applecrab Seedling hardy to zone 2, which means winters down to about -50°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 Chestnut Applecrab Seedling need?

About 750 hours of winter chill (we count hours at or below 45°F), likely somewhere between 550 and 1,000. That's based on the parent, Chestnut. Seedlings vary. Chestnut itself tests well below standard apples, about 750 hours. Our chill hours guide has a calculator for your winters, and our research page lists the sources.

What is Chestnut Applecrab Seedling good for?

Our top use scores for Chestnut Applecrab Seedling are sauce and butter (6/10).

Is Chestnut Applecrab Seedling disease resistant?

We don't know yet. Nobody has published solid disease data on Chestnut Applecrab Seedling for apple scab, cedar-apple rust, fire blight and powdery mildew, so we list it as unknown instead of guessing. That doesn't mean it's weak. Plenty of the plants we grow have never been through formal disease trials. Our crabapple disease resistance chart has every rating, the notes and the sources.

Will deer eat Chestnut Applecrab Seedling?

Yes, deer love it. Protect Chestnut Applecrab Seedling with a fence or a cage, especially while it is young.

What arrives, and when does Chestnut Applecrab Seedling 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 Less than 6" Seedlings or 4-8" Seedlings. 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.

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Pollination partners

Trees that will pollenize Chestnut Applecrab Seedling

Chestnut Applecrab Seedling 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 2 of 7 (Early)
Pollination Needs a partner
Pollen Not tested yet

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

See every pairing on the Apple Pollination Map Chestnut Applecrab Seedling's bloom group is our best estimate. Watch it bloom and tell us what you see.

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Not available for spring 2027. Here's what we'd plant instead.

Chestnut Applecrab Seedling (Bundle of 2) is off the list this season. These are in stock now, and the full applecrab trees collection has the rest. Everything on our zone 2 page is rated for the same winters.