Dolgo Crabapple Tree | Bare Root, Zone 1b

Dolgo Crabapple (Bundle of 2) | Spring 2027

$74.99

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 resistanceResists 3 of 4

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

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)

At a glance: Dolgo Crabapple is a crabapple tree rated hardy to zone 1b in our ratings, not self-fertile, so it needs a different variety nearby as a pollenizer (bloom group 2 of 7, early for an apple or crabapple), and it ripens about Aug 19 to Sep 1 in Missoula (our Missoula estimate).

Hardy to	Zone 1b to 9. The b means the warmer half of zone 1 only. Find your zone with our cold hardiness calculator.
Chill hours	About 500 hours (400 to 1,000). Published figures disagree, so treat this as a middle estimate. 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. Plant a different apple or crabapple variety that blooms in groups 1 to 3. It has good pollen, so it can also pollenize other apples blooming at the same time. Good partners we carry: Chestnut Applecrab, Crimson Beauty Apple, Lodi Apple, Martha Applecrab and 42 more. Apple Pollination Map.
Ripens	About Aug 19 to Sep 1 in Missoula (estimated for Missoula from published sources). Real years swing about a week either way. See the date for your town.
Good for	Jams and jellies (9/10), ornamental value (8/10), pollenizing other trees (8/10), sauce and butter (7/10), hard cider (7/10), juice and sweet 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, 2-3 ft. Shipped or picked up in Missoula in spring, roots wrapped in moist sawdust. Guaranteed to bud out.

Overview

Producing massive amounts of white flowers every Spring that will then turn to 1-inch crimson red crabapples, Dolgo is a must for many reasons.

Uses

Whether it’s eating the good tasting crabapples (high acidity which I like), used for processing, or as a pollenizer or rootstock on which to top graft, Dolgo is a must for many reasons in the orchard.

Disease Resistance & Hardiness

And did I mention it's resistant to scab, fireblight, and cold hardy to zone 2. When some of our rootstocks such as some in the Geneva or Emla series had suffered from some frost damage at our nursery from the early fall frost (-10F) on 10/25/20, Dolgo didn’t bat an eye.

Cider & Culinary Notes

Although I’ve never used Dolgo for cider, I have used one of its descendants, Kerr apple crab (which is crossed with Haralson) and that made for I think the best tasting cider I’ve ever had. Some sources say it makes great jelly and I’d bet Dolgo cider ain’t too shabby, especially when blended with something sweet like Macoun or Honeycrisp.

Cold Hardiness

Zone 2 hardy.

Questions we get about Dolgo Crabapple

Does Dolgo Crabapple need a pollenizer?

Yes. Dolgo Crabapple needs pollen from a different variety that blooms at about the same time. Plant a different apple or crabapple variety that blooms in groups 1 to 3. It has good pollen, so it can also pollenize other apples blooming at the same time. Partners we carry include Chestnut Applecrab, Crimson Beauty Apple, Lodi Apple.

How cold hardy is Dolgo Crabapple?

We rate Dolgo Crabapple hardy to zone 1b. 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 Dolgo Crabapple need?

About 500 hours of winter chill (we count hours at or below 45°F), likely somewhere between 400 and 1,000. Published figures for it disagree, so treat that as a middle estimate. Nurseries list 400 to 500 hours and it fruits in low-chill California, though a lab test ranked it closer to standard apples. It blooms early, so watch spring frosts. Our chill hours guide has a calculator for your winters, and our research page lists the sources.

When does Dolgo Crabapple ripen?

About Aug 19 to Sep 1 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.

What is Dolgo Crabapple good for?

Our top use scores for Dolgo Crabapple are jams and jellies (9/10), ornamental value (8/10), pollenizing other trees (8/10), sauce and butter (7/10). Anything scored 8 or higher makes our Best Of lists.

Is Dolgo Crabapple disease resistant?

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

Will deer eat Dolgo Crabapple?

Yes, deer love it. Protect Dolgo Crabapple with a fence or a cage, especially while it is young.

What arrives, and when does Dolgo Crabapple 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: 2-3 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 Dolgo Crabapple

Dolgo Crabapple 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 Good pollenizer

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