Snowsweet® Apple Tree | Bare Root, Hardy to Zone 3 | Spring 2027

Snowsweet® Apple (Spring 2027)

$59.99

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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)

At a glance: Snowsweet® Apple is an apple tree rated hardy to zone 3 as a conservative estimate (winters to -40°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 19 to Oct 5 in Missoula (our Missoula estimate).

Hardy to	Zone 3 to 7. A bare number means the whole of zone 3, colder half included (winters to -40°F). Find your zone with our cold hardiness calculator.
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. Its pollen quality isn't confirmed yet, so don't count on it as the only pollenizer for another tree. Good partners we carry: Hewe's Virginia Crabapple, Hyslop Crabapple, Wickson Crabapple, Blue Pearmain Apple and 100 more. Apple Pollination Map.
Ripens	About Sep 19 to Oct 5 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	Dolgo: full size, about 20 to 30 ft tall unpruned. Very hardy and well anchored. Plant 16 to 20 ft apart. Our rootstock guide.
Good for	Salads and slicing (9/10), fresh eating (8/10), sauce and butter (6/10), pies and baking (6/10), cooking and roasting (6/10). Scores are our 1 to 10 ratings, but we're still new to this one, so they lean on published descriptions and other growers rather than our own harvests. 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.

We're still fairly new to Snowsweet, an introduction from the University of Minnesota around 2005. According to Bob Purvis, who provided the scion wood for our grafts, Snowsweet has the following characteristics:

Fruit Size & Texture: The apples are large, crisp, and very sweet with low acidity. The flesh is fine-grained, juicy, and does not brown when cut.

Ripening & Storage: Snowsweet ripens mid to late September in Idaho, so we expect it to ripen in Missoula in late September and in Eastern Montana in early to mid October. These apples store well, lasting at least 4 months.

Hardiness

Based on the University of Minnesota’s description, Snowsweet is expected to be comparable in hardiness to Honeycrisp and Haralson. While we have found Haralson to withstand temperatures down to -50F, we have observed Honeycrisp experiencing winter damage at around -46F, particularly when frost damage reaches the trunk. Given these observations, we conservatively estimate that Snowsweet is hardy to at least -40F.

Other Notes

Our friends at Swanson's Mountain View Orchard, which is the largest orchard in the state of Montana, have told us that their customers cannot get enough of their Snowsweet apples, which is why they are planting even more in the coming years.

Rootstock & Growth

Our Spring 2027 Snowsweet trees are grafted onto Dolgo rootstock, known for their cold hardiness, reportedly surviving temperatures down to -50F or more.

Since these Snowsweet are grafted onto full size Dolgo, plan to plant these anywhere between 16-20 ft. apart. If planted on the lower end of this spectrum, a more rigorous pruning regiment will be required.

Updates Coming Soon

Since this is still only our third year growing Snowsweet, we look forward to gaining more firsthand experience with its flavor and performance. We will update this description once we have more personal insights to share!

Questions we get about Snowsweet® Apple

Does Snowsweet® Apple need a pollenizer?

Yes. Snowsweet® 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. Its pollen quality isn't confirmed yet, so don't count on it as the only pollenizer for another tree. Partners we carry include Hewe's Virginia Crabapple, Hyslop Crabapple, Wickson Crabapple.

How cold hardy is Snowsweet® Apple?

We list Snowsweet® Apple at zone 3, which means winters down to about -40°F. That's a conservative estimate. The University of Minnesota compares it to Honeycrisp and Haralson, and we've seen Haralson take -50°F and Honeycrisp get damaged around -46°F. We'll adjust it as our own Snowsweet trees go through more Montana winters.

When does Snowsweet® Apple ripen?

About Sep 19 to Oct 5 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 Snowsweet® Apple get?

We graft Snowsweet® Apple onto Dolgo (full size), which makes a tree roughly 20 to 30 ft tall if you never prune it. Plant 16 to 20 ft apart.

What is Snowsweet® Apple good for?

Our top use scores for Snowsweet® Apple are salads and slicing (9/10), fresh eating (8/10), sauce and butter (6/10), pies and baking (6/10). Since we're still new to it, those scores lean on published descriptions and other growers rather than our own harvests. Anything scored 8 or higher makes our Best Of lists.

Will deer eat Snowsweet® Apple?

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

Pollination partners

Trees that will pollenize Snowsweet Apple

Snowsweet 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 Not tested yet

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