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Trailman applecrabs ripening on the branch
  • Trailman applecrabs ripening on the branch
  • Trailman applecrabs ripening on the branch
Trailman Applecrab (Spring 2027)

Trailman Applecrab (Spring 2027)

$74.99
Rootstock/Size

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

Scored 1 to 5. Higher resists better, and ? means no published data yet.

See it on our crabapple disease chart (opens in a new tab)
On video

At a glance: Trailman Applecrab is an applecrab tree rated hardy to zone 1b in our ratings (winters to -55°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 Aug 27 to Sep 8 in Missoula (our Missoula estimate).

Hardy to Zone 1b to 7. The b means the warmer half of zone 1 only (winters to -55°F). Our notes have it taking -47°F. Find your zone with our cold hardiness calculator.
Chill hours About 700 hours (500 to 900). Our estimate. No published figure exists for this variety yet. 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. Its pollen quality isn't confirmed yet, so don't count on it as the only pollenizer for another tree. Good partners we carry: Otterson Crabapple, Trail Crabapple, Alexander Apple, Burgundy Apple and 103 more. Apple Pollination Map.
Ripens About Aug 27 to Sep 8 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. Dolgo: full size, about 20 to 30 ft tall unpruned. Very hardy and well anchored. Our rootstock guide.
Good for Fresh eating (8/10), cooking and roasting (7/10), canning and freezing (7/10), drying (6/10), juice and sweet cider (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.
Where it came from Read about the Canadian prairie breeding stations and what else came out of it.
What you get Bare root, 4-6 ft or 3-4 ft or 5-7 ft. Shipped or picked up in Missoula in spring, roots wrapped in moist sawdust. Guaranteed to bud out.

About Trailman Applecrab

Trailman is the applecrab for the coldest yards: rated zone 1 by the University of Saskatchewan, it took -47F near Bozeman with no damage and crops heavily.

  • Where it came from: Bred by Dr. C. R. Ure at the Morden Research Station, Agriculture Canada, and introduced in 1973.
  • Parents: Trail x Osman.
  • Also called: None.
  • Cider class: Not classed by any source yet.
  • Juice: No juice numbers have been published. USask calls it a good juice and mixer, fair to good for juicing.
  • Winter: Took -47F at Ed Schultz's orchard near Bozeman in 2024 with zero damage. Rated zone 1 by USask; we list it at zone 1b until we have more data.
  • Bloom and ripening: blooms in apple group 4 of 7 (mid); ripens about Aug 27 to Sep 8 in Missoula.

Part of: zone 2 cider apples.

More reading: best crabapples for cider.

Questions about Trailman Applecrab

Is Trailman good for cider? Probably, though nobody has published its juice numbers. USask rates it a good juice and mixer. If you grow it for cider, measure the juice and add it to the calculator as your own numbers.

Is Trailman applecrab edible? Yes. The fruit is small (1 to 1.5 inches) and orange-peach, tart at first and sweeter and nuttier if you let it hang.

How big does Trailman Applecrab get? On Dolgo roots it's full size, about 20 to 30 ft unpruned; on Bud 118 it's semi-dwarf, about 12 to 18 ft.

Sources: University of Saskatchewan, Trailman.

Overview

Bred at the Morden Research Station in Manitoba and introduced in 1973, Trailman is a cold-hardy apple crab that consistently produces heavy crops of small, orange-peach-colored fruits (1–1.5” in size). It’s a cross between Trail and Osman, and one of the best-performing applecrabs we've seen for extreme northern climates.

Flavor Profile

Don’t let the size fool you—Trailman packs a punch:

  • Sweet with a bold tart kick – might be a bit much for some early on, but if left to ripen longer, it mellows into a sweeter, nuttier profile

  • Has a flavor somewhat similar to Chestnut Crab (although more flavorful and less sweet) with a nice crunch

  • Likely a great addition to hard cider blends

Cold Hardiness

Survived -47°F at Ed Schultz’s orchard near Bozeman in 2024 with zero damage. Alaska Fruit Trees lists it as one of their hardiest.

Estimated hardiness: -50°F to -60°F, making it ideal for extreme cold climates in zone 2 and zone 1b. We're listing it conservatively at zone 1b (-55°F) until we have more data.

Rootstock Info

For Spring 2027, these trees are one year older and grafted onto Dolgo and Bud 118.

Questions we get about Trailman Applecrab

Does Trailman Applecrab need a pollenizer?

Yes. Trailman Applecrab 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. Its pollen quality isn't confirmed yet, so don't count on it as the only pollenizer for another tree. Partners we carry include Otterson Crabapple, Trail Crabapple, Alexander Apple.

How cold hardy is Trailman Applecrab?

We rate Trailman Applecrab hardy to zone 1b, which means winters down to about -55°F. Our notes have it taking -47°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 Trailman Applecrab need?

About 700 hours of winter chill (we count hours at or below 45°F), likely somewhere between 500 and 900. Nobody has published a chill figure for it, so that's our estimate from its relatives and origin. Morden applecrab bred for the prairies. Chill estimated around 700 hours and untested where winters are mild. Our chill hours guide has a calculator for your winters, and our research page lists the sources.

When does Trailman Applecrab ripen?

About Aug 27 to Sep 8 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 Trailman Applecrab get?

We graft Trailman Applecrab 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. Some sizes are on Dolgo.

What is Trailman Applecrab good for?

Our top use scores for Trailman Applecrab are fresh eating (8/10), cooking and roasting (7/10), canning and freezing (7/10), drying (6/10). Anything scored 8 or higher makes our Best Of lists.

Is Trailman Applecrab disease resistant?

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

Will deer eat Trailman Applecrab?

Yes, deer love it. Protect Trailman Applecrab with a fence or a cage, especially while it is young.

Juice data

SG (Brix)Acid g/L Tannin g/LpH
1.061 (15.0) E 6.0 E 0.6 E not published

On these numbers it's a sharp on the Long Ashton scale. Letters show how solid each number is: M measured, P published but weaker, E our estimate.

USask: "good juice and mixer". No numbers published.

Run Trailman Applecrab through the hard cider calculator to see what it does in a blend.

More Plants Like This

By Zone

Zone 2 Applecrab TreesZone 2 Fresh-Eating ApplesZone 3 Fresh-Eating ApplesZone 4 Fresh-Eating Apples

Bred By

Morden Research Station Fruit Varieties

Best For

Best Apples for Fresh EatingCold Hardy Cider Apple Trees

Disease Resistance

Fire Blight Resistant Apple & Crabapple TreesFire Blight Resistant Fruit Trees

Browse

Applecrab TreesMid-Blooming Apple Trees

Pollination partners

Trees that will pollenize Trailman Applecrab

Trailman Applecrab 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 Not tested yet

107 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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