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Hardired Nectarine (Spring 2027)
$44.99
Reliable shipping
Flexible returns
Pollination
Self-fertile
Bloom group
2 of 7 (Early)
Ripening
Will it finish before your first hard freeze?
Check it on the Ripening Map (opens in a new tab)
Disease resistanceResists 1 of 4
- 3 Bacterial spot : Moderate, 3 of 5
- 4 Brown rot : Resistant, 4 of 5
- 3 Cytospora canker : Moderate, 3 of 5
- 3 Peach leaf curl : Moderate, 3 of 5
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: Hardired Nectarine is a nectarine tree rated hardy to zone 4b in our ratings (winters to -25°F), self-fertile, so one tree can crop (bloom group 2 of 7, early for a peach or nectarine), and it ripens about Aug 22 to Sep 4 in Missoula (our Missoula estimate).
| Hardy to | Zone 4b to 8. The b means the warmer half of zone 4 only (winters to -25°F). Our notes have it taking -45°F. Find your zone with our cold hardiness calculator. |
|---|---|
| Chill hours | About 850 hours (750 to 950). Well documented. Independent sources agree. 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 2 of 7 (early), early spring here. Self-fertile, so a single tree will set fruit. No pollenizer needed. Nearby varieties that can boost the crop: Mericrest Nectarine, Fantasia Nectarine, Flavortop Nectarine, Arctic Glo Nectarine. Nectarine Pollination Map. |
| Ripens | About Aug 22 to Sep 4 in Missoula (estimated for Missoula from published sources). Real years swing about a week either way. See the date for your town. |
| Rootstock and size | Native Plum: semi-dwarf, about 10 to 15 ft tall unpruned. Suckers, so mow or pull suckers. Our rootstock guide. |
| Good for | Fresh eating (7/10), pies and baking (7/10), salads and slicing (6/10), jams and jellies (6/10), canning and freezing (6/10), drying (6/10). 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. |
Overview
Although Doug’s Big Red Juicy is the only one of our nectarines we’d put in true zone 4, Hardired is certainly hardier than the average nectarine. From its showy pink flowers in the spring to its sweet and tangy, creamy red fruits, you’ll think, “I can’t believe we can grow these in Missoula!”
Flavor & Uses
Great for fresh eating—we also top it on ice cream during our hot Montana summers because the tangy, sweet skin adds a wonderful bite. Great for nectarine cobbler, too! Self-fertile. Hardy to probably only about -27°F to -30°F.
Spring 2027 Stock Details
These nectarine trees are offered for Spring 2027 in 3-4 ft. and 4-6 ft. (pruned to 5 ft. for shipping) grades and are grafted onto semi-dwarf native plum rootstock. Native Plum is hardy down to -45F, and possibly even -50F., making this perhaps the hardiest rootstock for nectarine.
Image courtesy of Sotaque under CC 2.0.
Questions we get about Hardired Nectarine
Does Hardired Nectarine need a pollenizer?
No. Hardired Nectarine is self-fertile, so a single tree can set fruit. Self-fertile, so a single tree will set fruit. No pollenizer needed. Partners we carry include Mericrest Nectarine, Fantasia Nectarine, Flavortop Nectarine.
How cold hardy is Hardired Nectarine?
We rate Hardired Nectarine hardy to zone 4b, which means winters down to about -25°F. Our notes have it taking -45°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 Hardired Nectarine need?
About 850 hours of winter chill (we count hours at or below 45°F), likely somewhere between 750 and 950. That figure is well documented: independent sources agree. That's easily met in Montana. It blooms early, so a site that warms up late in spring helps protect the flowers. Our chill hours guide has a calculator for your winters, and our research page lists the sources.
When does Hardired Nectarine ripen?
About Aug 22 to Sep 4 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.
How big does Hardired Nectarine get?
We graft Hardired Nectarine onto Native Plum (semi-dwarf), which makes a tree roughly 10 to 15 ft tall if you never prune it.
What is Hardired Nectarine good for?
Our top use scores for Hardired Nectarine are fresh eating (7/10), pies and baking (7/10), salads and slicing (6/10), jams and jellies (6/10).
Is Hardired Nectarine disease resistant?
For some diseases, yes. It's resistant to brown rot. It holds up moderately well against bacterial spot, cytospora canker and peach leaf curl. Our peach and nectarine disease resistance chart has every rating, the notes and the sources.
Will deer eat Hardired Nectarine?
Sometimes. Deer browse Hardired Nectarine now and then, so protect young plants where deer pressure is high.
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Pollination, Bloom & Ripening
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Pollination partners
Good partners for Hardired Nectarine
Hardired 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
2 of 7 (Early)
Pollination
Self-fertile
Pollen
Good pollenizer
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Mericrest Nectarine(Spring 2027)
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Fantasia Nectarine(Spring 2027)
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Flavortop Nectarine(Spring 2027)
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