Spartan Apple (Spring 2027)

Spartan is a cross between McIntosh and an unknown variety, developed at the BC Summerland Research Station in 1936. While it was originally thought to be McIntosh x Newtown Pippin, recent genetic analysis revealed that Newtown Pippin is not one of its parents, leaving 50% of its identity a mystery.

We tried Spartan for the first time at Al and Mary Pernichele’s Frost Top Orchard in 2021. The apple seems to be one that people either love or prefer McIntosh over. Spartan hangs on the tree 1-2 weeks longer than McIntosh, ripening around the first or second week of October in Missoula. While considered a good all-purpose apple, it may be slightly hardier than McIntosh, making it a solid choice for colder climates.

Hardiness & Ripening

Cold Hardiness: We believe Spartan is slightly hardier than McIntosh, which is hardy to -40F. Spartan is likely hardy to at least -45F. We're listing it conservatively at zone 3 (-40F) until we have more data. However, due to its later ripening, Spartan may not be ideal for areas with -45F or colder temperatures, as it ripens later than McIntosh. Spartan should be harvested 1-2 weeks after McIntosh, and may need to be picked earlier if an early frost threatens before it ripens fully.

Rootstock & Growth

For Spring 2027, we’ve grafted Spartan onto two different rootstocks: Spy 227, and Bud 118. Both of these can withstand temps well into the -40Fs, and even -50F. How much colder than that is unknown, but if you are experiencing those temps, we would advise against Spartan anyways given our note above on its hardiness.

Photos: “Apples in basket 2018 G1” by George Chernilevsky, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain; “13-20120907 UBCBG MalusCvSpartan” by Wendy Cutler, via Flickr, licensed CC BY 2.0; “Spartan CMD1506026 copy” by Apple and Pear Australia Ltd, via Flickr, licensed CC BY 2.0; “Spartan apple” by Glysiak, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0.