Macoun Apple
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Flexible returns
Will it finish before your first hard freeze?
Check it on the Ripening Map (opens in a new tab)At a glance: Macoun 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 4 of 7, mid for an apple or crabapple), and it ripens about Sep 14 to Sep 27 in Missoula (picked and dated at our place in Missoula).
| Hardy to | Zone 3b to 8. The b means the warmer half of zone 3 only (winters to -35°F). Find your zone with our cold hardiness calculator. |
|---|---|
| Pollination | Needs Cross-Pollination. Bloom group 4 of 7 (mid), late spring here. Plant a different apple or crabapple variety that blooms in groups 3 to 5. It has good pollen, so it can also pollenize other apples blooming at the same time. Good partners we carry: Otterson Crabapple, Trail Crabapple, Alexander Apple, Burgundy Apple and 103 more. Apple Pollination Map. |
| Ripens | About Sep 14 to Sep 27 in Missoula (picked and dated off our own trees). 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. Our rootstock guide. |
| Good for | Fresh eating (9/10), salads and slicing (7/10), sauce and butter (7/10), pies and baking (6/10), canning and freezing (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, 4-6 ft. Shipped or picked up in Missoula in spring, roots wrapped in moist sawdust. Guaranteed to bud out. |
Overview
If you're a McIntosh fan, you’ll love Macoun. A late-season heir to the McIntosh legacy, Macoun is an excellent fresh-eating apple that typically ripens around the same time as McIntosh (end of September in Missoula). It’s also a great option for pies since it doesn't break down in the oven.
Macoun is one of the best McIntosh derivatives with a better crunch than McIntosh. It's also juicier and the flavor lingers longer. It’s one of Luke and Rod McIver’s favorite apples.
Hardiness and Growing Regions
One downside of Macoun is that it isn’t very hardy for most of Montana. It will thrive in areas like Kalispell, Libby, Missoula, Hamilton, Plains, and other parts of Western Montana where temperatures don’t typically dip below -40°F. Like McIntosh, this is the lower limit of cold hardiness for Macoun.
It may work in Billings or warmer microclimates that experience slightly colder temperatures, but Macoun is not suitable for areas consistently below -40°F.
Tree Size and Rootstock
The Macoun trees available are 4-6 feet tall bare-root trees, grafted onto Bud 118 rootstock.
Questions we get about Macoun Apple
Does Macoun Apple need a pollenizer?
Yes. Macoun 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 3 to 5. It has good pollen, so it can also pollenize other apples blooming at the same time. Partners we carry include Otterson Crabapple, Trail Crabapple, Alexander Apple.
How cold hardy is Macoun Apple?
We rate Macoun Apple hardy to zone 3b, which means winters down to about -35°F. Our ratings come from real winters at our two Montana sites and from trusted growers across the North, not from a catalog average.
When does Macoun Apple ripen?
About Sep 14 to Sep 27 in Missoula, Montana (picked and dated off our own trees). Warmer places run earlier and cooler places later; our ripening map converts the date to your town.
How big does Macoun Apple get?
We graft Macoun 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.
What is Macoun Apple good for?
Our top use scores for Macoun Apple are fresh eating (9/10), salads and slicing (7/10), sauce and butter (7/10), pies and baking (6/10). Anything scored 8 or higher makes our Best Of lists.
Will deer eat Macoun Apple?
Yes, deer love it. Protect Macoun Apple with a fence or a cage, especially while it is young.
Pollination partners
Trees that will pollenize Macoun Apple
Macoun 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.
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Otterson Crabapple
$89.99
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Trail Crabapple
$49.99
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Alexander Apple
From $49.99
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Burgundy Apple
From $49.99
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Cortland Apple
From $44.99
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Cox Orange Pippin Apple
$59.99
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Frostbite Apple
From $59.99
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Goodland Apple
From $44.99
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Haralson Apple
From $54.99
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Hunt Russet Apple
$84.99
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Kandil Sinap Apple
From $44.99
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Kerr Applecrab
From $54.99











