Doug's Big Red Juicy Nectarine Tree

A large Doug's Big Red Juicy nectarine held in hand

Doug's Big Red Juicy Nectarine (Spring 2027)

$54.99

Reliable shipping

Flexible returns

Pollination Self-fertile

Bloom group 4 of 7 (Mid)

See trees that bloom with it Nectarine 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

Bacterial spot : Unknown, no published data yet
Brown rot : Unknown, no published data yet
Cytospora canker : Unknown, no published data yet
Peach leaf curl : Unknown, no published data yet

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

See it on our peach and nectarine disease chart (opens in a new tab)

At a glance: Doug's Big Red Juicy Nectarine is a nectarine tree rated hardy to zone 4 in our ratings (winters to -30°F), and self-fertile, so one tree can crop (bloom group 4 of 7, mid for a peach or nectarine).

Hardy to	Zone 4 to 8. A bare number means the whole of zone 4, colder half included (winters to -30°F). Our notes have it taking -26°F. Find your zone with our cold hardiness calculator.
Chill hours	About 850 hours (600 to 1,050). 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	Self-Fertile. Bloom group 4 of 7 (mid), early spring here. Like nearly all nectarines it should be self-fertile, so a single tree will set fruit. Nearby varieties that can boost the crop: Blushingstar Peach, Contender Peach, Glohaven Peach, PF-24C Cold Hardy Peach and 10 more. Bloom group is our estimate from the variety's origin and relatives. Nectarine Pollination Map.
Rootstock and size	Manchurian: full size, about 15 to 20 ft tall unpruned. The hardiest apricot root there is. Our rootstock guide.
Good for	Fresh eating (7/10). Scores are our own 1 to 10 ratings; 8 and up makes our Best Of lists.
Deer	Sometimes damaged by deer.
What you get	Bare root, 3-4 ft or 4-6 ft. Shipped or picked up in Missoula in spring, roots wrapped in moist sawdust. Guaranteed to bud out.

Cold-Hardy Nectarine Seedlings

These are grafted from our buddy Doug's nectarine tree that unfortunately was cut down to create an alley. But we saved the genetics! The mother tree was a very tasty nectarine (see photos). The tree had been growing in Missoula for well over 10 years and had consistently borne heavily. The mother tree had been the most hardy nectarine tree we had seen, having survived at least -26°F while still bearing delicious, plump, sweet-tart nectarines with a nice, jammy, lemony flavor. Hardy to zone 4 (-30°F).

Cold Tolerance & Zone Speculation

This is the best nectarine tree we’ve seen growing in such cold temps. It’s unknown if it can survive into the -30s. We’re erring on the side of saying no—although, perhaps if the tree is well protected, it could be grown in zone 3b. That’s hypothetical, though. Don’t check the USDA map; go by the measured minimum winter lows directly in your area.

Growth & Rootstock Info

These are on Manchurian apricot rootstock, which can get 20 ft. (even more in deep soil).

Questions we get about Doug's Big Red Juicy Nectarine

Does Doug's Big Red Juicy Nectarine need a pollenizer?

No. Doug's Big Red Juicy Nectarine is self-fertile, so a single tree can set fruit. Like nearly all nectarines it should be self-fertile, so a single tree will set fruit. Partners we carry include Blushingstar Peach, Contender Peach, Glohaven Peach.

How cold hardy is Doug's Big Red Juicy Nectarine?

We rate Doug's Big Red Juicy Nectarine hardy to zone 4, which means winters down to about -30°F. Our notes have it taking -26°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 Doug's Big Red Juicy Nectarine need?

About 850 hours of winter chill (we count hours at or below 45°F), likely somewhere between 600 and 1,050. Nobody has published a chill figure for it, so that's our estimate from its relatives and origin. Unknown variety, so this is an estimate. It's thrived in Missoula for over a decade, which matters more than the exact number. Our chill hours guide has a calculator for your winters, and our research page lists the sources.

How big does Doug's Big Red Juicy Nectarine get?

We graft Doug's Big Red Juicy Nectarine onto Manchurian (full size), which makes a tree roughly 15 to 20 ft tall if you never prune it.

What is Doug's Big Red Juicy Nectarine good for?

Our top use scores for Doug's Big Red Juicy Nectarine are fresh eating (7/10).

Is Doug's Big Red Juicy Nectarine disease resistant?

We don't know yet. Nobody has published solid disease data on Doug's Big Red Juicy Nectarine for bacterial spot, brown rot, cytospora canker and peach leaf curl, 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 peach and nectarine disease resistance chart has every rating, the notes and the sources.

Will deer eat Doug's Big Red Juicy Nectarine?

Sometimes. Deer browse Doug's Big Red Juicy Nectarine now and then, so protect young plants where deer pressure is high.

What arrives, and when does Doug's Big Red Juicy Nectarine 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: 3-4 ft or 4-6 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.

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Pollination partners

Good partners for Doug's Big Red Juicy Nectarine

Doug's Big Red Juicy Nectarine is self-fertile, so one tree will fruit on its own. If you'd like a second peach or nectarine, these bloom at the same time and work well together.

Bloom group 4 of 7 (Mid)

Pollination Self-fertile

Pollen Good pollenizer

14 trees we carry bloom with it. 7 in stock now.