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A bushel basket of freshly picked Northern Spy apples
  • A bushel basket of freshly picked Northern Spy apples
  • Northern Spy apple blossoms on the branch
  • A Northern Spy apple held in hand, showing its red blush over yellow-green skin
  • Northern Spy apples ripening on the branch
  • Northern Spy apples shown whole and cut beside a size scale
  • Historic pomological watercolor of the Northern Spy apple, whole and cut
  • A bushel basket of freshly picked Northern Spy apples
  • Northern Spy apple blossoms on the branch
  • A Northern Spy apple held in hand, showing its red blush over yellow-green skin
  • Northern Spy apples ripening on the branch
  • Northern Spy apples shown whole and cut beside a size scale
  • Historic pomological watercolor of the Northern Spy apple, whole and cut
Northern Spy Apple (Spring 2027)

Northern Spy Apple (Spring 2027)

$39.99
Rootstock/Size

Reliable shipping

Flexible returns
Pollination Needs a partner
Bloom group 5 of 7 (Mid-Late)
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 resistanceNo strong resistance
  • Apple scab : Susceptible, 2 of 5
  • Cedar-apple rust : Susceptible, 2 of 5
  • Fire blight : Susceptible, 2 of 5
  • Powdery mildew : Susceptible, 2 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: Northern Spy Apple is an apple tree rated hardy to zone 4 in our ratings (winters to -30°F), not self-fertile, so it needs a different variety nearby as a pollenizer (bloom group 5 of 7, mid-late for an apple or crabapple), and it ripens about Oct 8 to Nov 7 in Missoula (our Missoula estimate).

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 -50°F. Find your zone with our cold hardiness calculator.
Chill hours About 1,100 hours (1,000 to 1,250). 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 5 of 7 (mid-late), late spring here. Plant a different apple or crabapple variety that blooms in groups 4 to 6. It has good pollen, so it can also pollenize other apples blooming at the same time. Good partners we carry: Black Oxford Apple, Honeycrisp Apple, Oriole Apple, Prairie Spy Apple and 70 more. Apple Pollination Map.
Ripens About Oct 8 to Nov 7 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. Our rootstock guide.
Good for Pies and baking (9/10), fresh eating (8/10), cooking and roasting (8/10), winter storage (8/10), sauce and butter (7/10), juice and sweet cider (7/10). 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, 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

Northern Spy – A Firm, Flavorful Classic and Breeding Powerhouse

Northern Spy was one of the favorite apples of our mentor, Rod McIver. Rod grew it up in Kalispell, where the climate is slightly colder and the growing season shorter than in Missoula. As a late-season variety, Northern Spy was just on the edge of being able to ripen in time for him.

According to Rod:

“Excellent flavor and firmness, a personal favorite. Many great apples have been derived from it, including Honeycrisp, Sweet 16, Keepsake, etc. Seldom ripens on the tree before the last frost; however, the fruits can be picked and ripen in storage, and they keep very well.”

Ripening and Storage

While Northern Spy often struggles to ripen fully on the tree before the first frost, it is known for ripening well off the tree and storing beautifully. This makes it an excellent choice for those looking for a late apple that can develop flavor in storage.

Rootstock and Hardiness

For Spring 2027, we have Northern Spy on Bud 118, a semi-dwarf rootstock (in our soils/climate in MT) that is hardy to roughly -50F (possibly more if there is consistent snow cover).

Photo credits: “Northern Spy on tree” and “Cross section of Northern Spy” by the National Fruit Collection, Brogdale, via Wikimedia Commons (1, 2), licensed under the Open Government Licence v2.0.

Illustration: “Northern Spy” by Amanda Almira Newton, USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection, Rare and Special Collections, National Agricultural Library (POM00000596). Public domain.

Photos: “A tisket, a tasket I bought Northern Spies in a basket. #michiganapples #northernspies #apples #applesauce #applepie” by Kate Ter Haar, via Flickr, licensed CC BY 2.0; “PI 588872, Malus domestica, Northern Spy - Flower in Branch” by USDA-ARS National Plant Germplasm System (GRIN-Global), via USDA GRIN, public domain; “johnny apple” by katie hargrave, via Flickr, licensed CC BY 2.0.

Questions we get about Northern Spy Apple

Does Northern Spy Apple need a pollenizer?

Yes. Northern Spy 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 4 to 6. It has good pollen, so it can also pollenize other apples blooming at the same time. Partners we carry include Black Oxford Apple, Honeycrisp Apple, Oriole Apple.

How cold hardy is Northern Spy Apple?

We rate Northern Spy Apple hardy to zone 4, which means winters down to about -30°F. Our notes have it taking -50°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 Northern Spy Apple need?

About 1,100 hours of winter chill (we count hours at or below 45°F), likely somewhere between 1,000 and 1,250. That figure is well documented: independent sources agree. Our chill hours guide has a calculator for your winters, and our research page lists the sources.

When does Northern Spy Apple ripen?

About Oct 8 to Nov 7 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 Northern Spy Apple get?

We graft Northern Spy 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 Northern Spy Apple good for?

Our top use scores for Northern Spy Apple are pies and baking (9/10), fresh eating (8/10), cooking and roasting (8/10), winter storage (8/10). Anything scored 8 or higher makes our Best Of lists.

Is Northern Spy Apple disease resistant?

No. It's prone to apple scab, cedar-apple rust, fire blight and powdery mildew. Our apple disease resistance chart has every rating, the notes and the sources.

Will deer eat Northern Spy Apple?

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

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Pollination partners

Trees that will pollenize Northern Spy Apple

Northern Spy 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 5 of 7 (Mid-Late)
Pollination Needs a partner
Pollen Good pollenizer

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

See every pairing on the Apple Pollination Map

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