- Extremely Cold Hardy Variety
- Parent of Keepsake, and Sweet Sixteen
- Grandparent of Honeycrisp
- Juicy, Sugarcane-Sweet, Crisp Apples
- Delightful Spring Apple Blossoms
- Easy to Reach Fruit
- Pollinator-Friendly
- The Perfect Addition to the Backyard
- Likes Full Sun Best
- Grown as a Semi-Dwarf
When it comes to apples, the Frostbite™ Apple (Malus x ‘MN 477’) is one-of-a-kind. This cold-hardy apple variety has been pleasing apple aficionados since its creation in the 1920s. These delightful apple trees have been used as the parentage of some of the most popular commercial varieties like the Honeycrisp, Keepsake, and Sweet Sixteen.
What else makes the Frostbite Apple an unbeatable choice for colder climates and those looking for a late-season harvest? This variety produces unique apples and offers the charm of sweet-scented and whimsical blooms.
First things first: the apple. The Frostbite Apple is unlike any other. It is tangy, tart, highly sweet, and crisp. Its flesh is often an orangey-yellow and even has bursts of red from time-to-time. It also holds a lot of juice despite its petite size. So, keep a few napkins around, its juice will run out and cascade down your hands.
These sugar-sweet apples are perfect for cider, cooking, and late-season fresh snacks. This prized apple offers a true apple flavor that will make you feel sentimental for your grandma’s apple pie recipe, so be sure to ask mom where she put it before harvest time comes around.
The Frostbite’s apples make great dried apple chips (which kids love).
Frostbite Apples do not grow larger than two-to-three inches in size, but this highly producing tree makes up for its fruit size with quantity and flavor. These deep red apples often grow in clusters and color to a deep cherry-red with golden freckles. When fully ripe and grown in full sun, the Frostbite Apple will develop sunny-yellow stripes.
The Frostbite Apple holds up to the most bitingly cold temperature without losing flavor or becoming frostbitten. This impressive apple was developed to stand up to temperatures that drop below 0-degrees F. This durable apple tree is fit for the North Pole but also thrives in warmer climates.
You can expect to fill your apple-picking basket from September to October, which is about three weeks after other apple trees bear ripe fruit.
Along with its sweet and juicy apples, the Frostbite Apple also offers a delightful sight when it comes into bloom in spring. Its adorable apple blossoms are the softest white with deeper blushes of pink and honey-yellow centers.
Because the Frostbite is such a prolific producer, you can use some of these romantic clusters as cut flowers to freshen up and add demure beauty to your home.
When these graceful flowers first appear in spring, they arrive as popping pink buds. When the Frostbite Apple blooms, you will want to treat yourself to the sweet and enticing scent of its flowers. You won’t be the only one enjoying these blossoms, though. This pollinator-friendly apple tree is also a favorite of bees that will happily buzz around pollinating your garden and fruit trees.
The Frostbite Apple does require a pollinator. You can pair yours with a Cortland, Fuji, Dolgo, Honeycrisps, or Granny Smith. Worried about the space required for a pollination partner? No need to stress–you can plant two apple varieties in the same hole, and they will happily pollinate one another.
How to Use the Frostbite Apple in the Landscape
Whether you have acreage to spare in your home orchard or you’ve been dreaming of an apple tree that will fit in your backyard, the Frostbite Apple will do the job.
This tree is perfect for average yards and makes a storybook-perfect backdrop behind your veggie garden. The pollinators it attracts will be happy to visit your vegetables and ensure you have a healthy harvest year after year.
Plant a small grouping of apple trees and enjoy the sweet scent of apple blossoms when you step into your backyard.
Tips for Care
For best success, plant your Frostbite Apple in full sun with well-drained soil. Provide even moisture and water during dry spells for the best fruit size.
Good air circulation is a must for the best pollinator and fruit quality. The Frostbite Apple also likes to dry its foliage in the morning sun, so be sure to plant it where it can bask in the morning sunrise.
Prune your Frostbite Apple during winter months when it’s dormant. You will notice it produces its crisp and toothsome apples on spurs.
Tell your harsh winters who’s boss with your very own Frostbite Apple trees. These apples are small, extremely cold hardy, and one of the most prestigious when it comes to its offspring. Gift your home orchard with the most unique and tenacious apple tree you can find.
