Zestar!® Apple Tree | Bare Root, Zone 3

Zestar! apples ripening against a blue sky

Zestar!® Apple (Spring 2027)

$59.99

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 2 of 4

Apple scab : Susceptible, 2 of 5
Cedar-apple rust : Resistant, 4 of 5
Fire blight : Susceptible, 2 of 5
Powdery mildew : Resistant, 4 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: Zestar!® Apple is an apple tree rated hardy to zone 3 in our ratings (winters to -40°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 19 to Sep 2 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.
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, such as Red Splendor Crabapple. 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.
Ripens	About Aug 19 to Sep 2 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	Spy 227: full size. A Northern Spy selection. Plant 18 to 20 ft apart. Our rootstock guide.
Good for	Fresh eating (8/10), cooking and roasting (6/10), pies and baking (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.
Compare it	Zestar vs Paula Red, side by side on hardiness, pollination, ripening and fruit.
Where it came from	Read about the University of Minnesota breeding program and what else came out of it.
What you get	Bare root, 3-5 ft or 5-7 ft. Shipped or picked up in Missoula in spring, roots wrapped in moist sawdust. Guaranteed to bud out.

Overview

Zestar! is another standout from the University of Minnesota, bred from a cross of State Fair x MN 1691. An early to mid-season apple, it ripens in late August to early September at Benson’s Farm in Missoula.

Flavor & Use

Crunchy, subacid, and pleasantly spiced—with a hint of cinnamon.

Only tried fresh so far, but we love the refreshing snap and complex flavor.

One of the best-storing summer apples we’ve grown—holds up over two months in the fridge without turning mealy.

Cold Hardiness

Hardy to -40F, and possibly -45F.

Use caution in regions colder than that—this variety may not hold up in Zone 2 or colder pockets without protection. Zestar! and many other University of Minnesota apples do not shut down early enough in time in the Fall for Ed Schultz in Gallatin Gateway, MT.

Rootstock & Growing Tips

For Spring 2027, we’ve grafted Zestar! onto the full size Spy 227. These were actually grafted in 2025 and will have been growing for two years before the time of fulfillment in Spring 2027. Spy 227 rootstock produces a standard size tree. At maturity, they require spacing of approximately 18–20 feet between trees. With intensive pruning and canopy management, closer spacing may be possible, while wider spacing can improve airflow and light penetration in humid or disease-prone sites.

Questions we get about Zestar!® Apple

Does Zestar!® Apple need a pollenizer?

Yes. Zestar!® 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, such as Red Splendor Crabapple. 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 Zestar!® Apple?

We rate Zestar!® 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 Zestar!® 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. Montana winters cover that easily. Our chill hours guide has a calculator for your winters, and our research page lists the sources.

When does Zestar!® Apple ripen?

About Aug 19 to Sep 2 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 Zestar!® Apple get?

We graft Zestar!® Apple onto Spy 227 (full size). Plant 18 to 20 ft apart.

What is Zestar!® Apple good for?

Our top use scores for Zestar!® Apple are fresh eating (8/10), cooking and roasting (6/10), pies and baking (6/10). Anything scored 8 or higher makes our Best Of lists.

Is Zestar!® Apple disease resistant?

For some diseases, yes. It's resistant to cedar-apple rust and powdery mildew. It's prone to apple scab and fire blight. Our apple disease resistance chart has every rating, the notes and the sources.

Will deer eat Zestar!® Apple?

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

More Plants Like This

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By Zone

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Bred By

University of Minnesota Fruit Varieties

Best For

Best Apples for Fresh Eating

Pollination, Bloom & Ripening

Early-Ripening Apple Trees

Disease Resistance

Cedar-Apple Rust Resistant Apple Trees Powdery Mildew Resistant Fruit Trees & Berries

Browse

Mid-Blooming Apple Trees

Pollination partners

Trees that will pollenize Zestar! Apple

Zestar! 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.