Dolores River Sorbet Apple Tree

Representative photo of a red-fleshed apple cut in half, not Dolores River Sorbet itself

Dolores River Sorbet Apple (Spring 2027)

$49.99

Reliable shipping

Flexible returns

Pollination Needs a partner

Bloom group 3 of 7 (Early-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)

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 apple disease chart (opens in a new tab)

At a glance: Dolores River Sorbet Apple is an apple tree we've estimated at zone 4 (winters to -30°F), and not self-fertile, so it needs a different variety nearby as a pollenizer (bloom group 3 of 7, early-mid for an apple or crabapple).

Hardy to	Zone 4 to 8. A bare number means the whole of zone 4, colder half included (winters to -30°F). Find your zone with our cold hardiness calculator.
Chill hours	About 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. Check your chill hours or see our sources.
Pollination	Needs Cross-Pollination. Bloom group 3 of 7 (early-mid), late spring here. Not self-fertile. Plant a different apple or crabapple variety nearby that blooms at about the same time (bloom groups 2 to 4 on our chart). Good partners we carry: Hewe's Virginia Crabapple, Hyslop Crabapple, Wickson Crabapple, Blue Pearmain Apple and 100 more. Bloom group is our estimate from the variety's origin and relatives. Apple Pollination Map.
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. Plant about 15 ft apart. Our rootstock guide.
Good for	Feeding wildlife (8/10), ornamental value (8/10), hard cider (7/10), fresh eating (6/10), juice and sweet cider (6/10). Scores are our 1 to 10 ratings, but we're still new to this one, so they lean on published descriptions and other growers rather than our own harvests. 8 and up makes our Best Of lists.
Deer	A deer favorite. Fence it or cage it.
What you get	Bare root, 3-5 ft or 5-7 ft. Shipped or picked up in Missoula in spring, roots wrapped in moist sawdust. Guaranteed to bud out.

This is our first year growing Dolores River Sorbet, so everything below is secondhand until we get more long-term data from our own mother trees.

Overview

Dolores River Sorbet is a red-fleshed crabapple from southwest Colorado. According to the folks who found it, everything about it is beautiful: purple-red blossoms and leaves, red-fleshed fruit with a berry flavor, and apples that hang on the tree into winter.

Origin and History

It was found and named by the Montezuma Orchard Restoration Project (MORP), a group working to save the heritage apples of southwest Colorado. The original tree was a seedling growing in the town of Dolores, near the Dolores River, and its parents are unknown. It's also been planted in the Dolores Community Heritage Orchard.

Fruit and Uses

MORP describes the fruit as red-fleshed with a berry flavor, calls it "a favorite snack for kids," and says "cider makers are sure to love it too." It ripens in the fall. MORP also points out that it's great for wildlife, because the apples hold onto the tree into the winter. With the red blossoms and leaves it doubles as an ornamental. We don't have our own notes on fruit size or storage yet.

Growth Habit and Spacing

Ours are on Bud 118 semi-dwarf rootstock. Plan on about 15 feet between trees, up to 18 feet for airflow.

Pollination

Like most Malus, it isn't self-fertile and needs a pollenizer. We're estimating it blooms early to mid season, so pair it with something like Centennial, Parkland, Norkent, Liberty, Transcendent or Hyslop crab.

Cold Hardiness

MORP doesn't publish a hardiness rating for it, and we haven't wintered it yet. We've listed it at zone 4 for now. That's an estimate, not a tested number, and we'll revise it once we have our own data.

Representative photo of a red-fleshed apple, not Dolores River Sorbet itself. Photo credit: “RedLove Schnitz” by Lubera, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Questions we get about Dolores River Sorbet Apple

Does Dolores River Sorbet Apple need a pollenizer?

Yes. Dolores River Sorbet Apple needs pollen from a different variety that blooms at about the same time. Plant a different apple or crabapple variety nearby that blooms at about the same time (bloom groups 2 to 4 on our chart). Partners we carry include Hewe's Virginia Crabapple, Hyslop Crabapple, Wickson Crabapple.

How cold hardy is Dolores River Sorbet Apple?

We list Dolores River Sorbet Apple at zone 4, which means winters down to about -30°F. MORP doesn't publish a hardiness rating and we haven't wintered it yet, so zone 4 is our estimate, not a tested number. We'll revise it once we have our own data.

How many chill hours does Dolores River Sorbet Apple need?

About 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 chill hours guide has a calculator for your winters, and our research page lists the sources.

How big does Dolores River Sorbet Apple get?

We graft Dolores River Sorbet 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. Plant about 15 ft apart.

What is Dolores River Sorbet Apple good for?

Our top use scores for Dolores River Sorbet Apple are feeding wildlife (8/10), ornamental value (8/10), hard cider (7/10), fresh eating (6/10). Since we're still new to it, those scores lean on MORP's description rather than our own harvests. Anything scored 8 or higher makes our Best Of lists.

Is Dolores River Sorbet Apple disease resistant?

We don't know yet. Nobody has published solid disease data on Dolores River Sorbet Apple 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 apple disease resistance chart has every rating, the notes and the sources.

Will deer eat Dolores River Sorbet Apple?

Yes, deer love it. Protect Dolores River Sorbet Apple with a fence or a cage, especially while it is young.

What arrives, and when does Dolores River Sorbet 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: 3-5 ft or 5-7 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 Dolores River Sorbet Apple

Dolores River Sorbet 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 3 of 7 (Early-Mid)

Pollination Needs a partner

Pollen Not tested yet

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