Northfield Beauty Apple Tree | Bare Root, Zone 3

Northfield Beauty apples ripening against a blue sky

Northfield Beauty Apple (Spring 2027)

$49.99

Reliable shipping

Flexible returns

Pollination Needs a partner

Bloom group 4 of 7 (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 1 of 4

Apple scab : Resistant, 4 of 5
Cedar-apple rust : Unknown, no published data yet
Fire blight : Unknown, no published data yet
Powdery mildew : Unknown, no published data yet

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: Northfield Beauty Apple is an apple tree rated hardy to zone 3 in our ratings (winters to -40°F), and not self-fertile, so it needs a different variety nearby as a pollenizer (bloom group 4 of 7, mid for an apple or crabapple).

Hardy to	Zone 3 to 8. A bare number means the whole of zone 3, colder half included (winters to -40°F). Find your zone with our cold hardiness calculator.
Chill hours	About 800 hours (700 to 1,100). From published figures. 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 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.
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 (7/10), sauce and butter (7/10), cooking and roasting (7/10), canning and freezing (6/10), jams and jellies (6/10), drying (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. Shipped or picked up in Missoula in spring, roots wrapped in moist sawdust. Guaranteed to bud out.

Overview

Northfield Beauty is a cold-hardy heirloom apple best known for its strong kitchen utility, heavy cropping, and reliable performance in fairly cold climates. It is often favored by growers who value bold, tart flavor and high productivity, with fruit that can also be eaten fresh by those who enjoy sharper apples.

History & Parentage

Northfield Beauty is an old American apple dating to the 19th century. Pomiferous notes puts its origins to Hermon in Penobscot County, Maine (U.S.A.) with its parentage listed as possibly Siberian Crabapple crossed with Hubbardston.

Fruit Quality & Uses

Fruit is typically large, frequently irregular or asymmetrical in shape, and notably tart with a strong, assertive flavor. Northfield Beauty is widely regarded as an excellent cooking apple, particularly for sauce and baking, where its acidity and structure hold up well. When fully mature, it can also be eaten fresh by those who prefer high-acid apples. Ripening is generally described as late summer, commonly in the late August/early Sept window depending on climate.

Growth Habit & Spacing

Trees are moderately vigorous with an upright to spreading growth habit and are often described as heavy and consistent croppers. Standard apple spacing based on rootstock applies, with wider spacing helpful for airflow and disease management in vigorous plantings.

Pollination

Northfield Beauty requires cross-pollination. Any compatible apple or crabapple with overlapping bloom will work. In mixed plantings, pairing it with another mid-bloom apple along with a crabapple is a reliable strategy.

Cold Hardiness

Northfield Beauty is easily a solid zone 3 apple, having survived near -35F on Rod McIver's farm in Kalispell, MT without any winter injury. If Siberian crab is indeed one of its parents, then it could even be hardier. As with most apples, actual survival at the lower end of this range depends on acclimation, site selection, and overall tree health. Possible zone 2

Other Notes

Apparently resistant to scab.

Questions we get about Northfield Beauty Apple

Does Northfield Beauty Apple need a pollenizer?

Yes. Northfield Beauty 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 Northfield Beauty Apple?

We rate Northfield Beauty Apple hardy to zone 3, which means winters down to about -40°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 Northfield Beauty Apple need?

About 800 hours of winter chill (we count hours at or below 45°F), likely somewhere between 700 and 1,100. That comes from published figures for this variety. Listed at about 800 hours. Any Montana winter covers that. Our chill hours guide has a calculator for your winters, and our research page lists the sources.

How big does Northfield Beauty Apple get?

We graft Northfield Beauty 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 Northfield Beauty Apple good for?

Our top use scores for Northfield Beauty Apple are pies and baking (7/10), sauce and butter (7/10), cooking and roasting (7/10), canning and freezing (6/10).

Is Northfield Beauty Apple disease resistant?

Yes, for the diseases it's been tested for. It's resistant to apple scab. Nobody has published solid data on it for cedar-apple rust, fire blight and powdery mildew yet, so we list those as unknown. Our apple disease resistance chart has every rating, the notes and the sources.

Will deer eat Northfield Beauty Apple?

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

What arrives, and when does Northfield Beauty Apple 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: 3-5 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

Trees that will pollenize Northfield Beauty Apple

Northfield Beauty 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 4 of 7 (Mid)

Pollination Needs a partner

Pollen Good pollenizer

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