Liberty Apple Tree | Bare Root, Zone 3b

Liberty Apple (Spring 2027)

$49.99

Rootstock/Size Bud 118 Semi-Dwarf: 3-5 ft. Bud 118 Semi-Dwarf: 5-7 ft. Dolgo Full Size: 2-4 ft. (One Year Older) Dolgo Full Size: 5-7 ft. (One Year Older) Bud 118 Semi-Dwarf: 4-6 ft. (One Year Older)

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 resistanceResists 4 of 4

Apple scab : Highly resistant, 5 of 5
Cedar-apple rust : Highly resistant, 5 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 apple disease chart (opens in a new tab)

At a glance: Liberty Apple is an apple tree rated hardy to zone 3b in our ratings (winters to -35°F), 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), and it ripens about Sep 28 to Oct 12 in Missoula (our Missoula estimate).

Hardy to	Zone 3b to 8. The b means the warmer half of zone 3 only (winters to -35°F). Our notes have it taking -40°F. We're listing it conservatively until we have more data. Find your zone with our cold hardiness calculator.
Chill hours	About 1,050 hours (850 to 1,150). 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	Needs Cross-Pollination. Bloom group 3 of 7 (early-mid), late spring here. Plant a different apple or crabapple variety that blooms in groups 2 to 4. It has good pollen, so it can also pollenize other apples blooming at the same time. Good partners we carry: Hewe's Virginia Crabapple, Hyslop Crabapple, Wickson Crabapple, Blue Pearmain Apple and 100 more. Apple Pollination Map.
Ripens	About Sep 28 to Oct 12 in Missoula (a Missoula estimate from published sources). Real years swing about a week either way. See the date for your town.
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. Dolgo: full size, about 20 to 30 ft tall unpruned. Very hardy and well anchored. Our rootstock guide.
Good for	Fresh eating (7/10), sauce and butter (7/10), pies and baking (6/10), canning and freezing (6/10), winter storage (6/10), jams and jellies (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, 3-5 ft or 5-7 ft or 2-4 ft or 4-6 ft. Shipped or picked up in Missoula in spring, roots wrapped in moist sawdust. Guaranteed to bud out.

Overview

Liberty is an excellent choice for beginners and one of the best apples for Montana growers. It thrives in Rod McIver’s orchard in the colder part of Kalispell, which is a solid Zone 4. Introduced in 1978 by the NY Ag Experiment Station, Liberty is a cross between Macoun and Purdue 54-12.

Disease Resistance

Liberty is one of the few apples resistant to all the major apple diseases. It does not suffer from the scab issues or pre-harvest drop that McIntosh is known for. Its resistance comes from the Vf Malus floribunda scab-resistant gene, making Liberty an extremely easy and reliable apple to grow.

Flavor

Liberty is essentially an improved McIntosh, though without the classic McIntosh aroma. We actually prefer it more than McIntosh—its flavor is excellent, balanced, and consistently good, making it a favorite among cold-climate growers.

Hardiness

In terms of cold hardiness, we rate Liberty as being comparable to McIntosh. It's hardy to -35°F and possibly -40°F, but anything colder than that might be too much for it. If you’re in an area that regularly experiences sub -40°F temperatures, you may want to consider other, more cold-hardy apple varieties.

Rootstock and Availability for Spring 2027 Fulfillment

For Spring 2027, we have Liberty in several different grades and ages, grafted onto two different rootstocks:

Bud 118 Rootstock: Semi-dwarf hardy to -45°F or more.
Dolgo: Hardy to -50°F, possibly -60°F. Full size.

Questions we get about Liberty Apple

Does Liberty Apple need a pollenizer?

Yes. Liberty Apple needs pollen from a different variety that blooms at about the same time. Plant a different apple or crabapple variety that blooms in groups 2 to 4. It has good pollen, so it can also pollenize other apples blooming at the same time. Partners we carry include Hewe's Virginia Crabapple, Hyslop Crabapple, Wickson Crabapple.

How cold hardy is Liberty Apple?

We rate Liberty Apple hardy to zone 3b, which means winters down to about -35°F. Our notes have it taking -40°F. We're listing it conservatively until we have more data. 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 Liberty Apple need?

About 1,050 hours of winter chill (we count hours at or below 45°F), likely somewhere between 850 and 1,150. That figure is well documented: independent sources agree. Tested at about 1,050 chill hours, a bit below average for apples. It still needs a real winter, but that's never a problem in Montana. Our chill hours guide has a calculator for your winters, and our research page lists the sources.

When does Liberty Apple ripen?

About Sep 28 to Oct 12 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 Liberty Apple get?

We graft Liberty 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. Some sizes are on Dolgo.

What is Liberty Apple good for?

Our top use scores for Liberty Apple are fresh eating (7/10), sauce and butter (7/10), pies and baking (6/10), canning and freezing (6/10).

Is Liberty Apple disease resistant?

Yes. It's highly resistant to apple scab and cedar-apple rust, and resistant to fire blight and powdery mildew. Our apple disease resistance chart has every rating, the notes and the sources.

Will deer eat Liberty Apple?

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

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Pollination partners

Trees that will pollenize Liberty Apple

Liberty 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 Good pollenizer

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