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Apple, Zestar

Early Apple with Crisp Bite & Cold Hardiness

Zestar! ripens early with surprising crunch and sweet-tart flavor. Cold-hardy and scab-resistant, it’s ideal for northern growers and early-season orchard diversity.

$5495
Shipping calculated at checkout.
Pot size
Rootstock

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Apple, Zestar! (Malus domestica ‘Zestar!’)

Developed by the University of Minnesota for northern growers, Zestar! is an early-season apple known for its exceptional flavor and crispness — a rare trait for summer apples. It ripens in late August to early September and delivers a well-balanced sweet-tart taste with notes of brown sugar and citrus. Unlike most early apples, Zestar! holds its texture well off the tree and even offers a brief storage life of 6–8 weeks under refrigeration.

This cultivar was bred for cold hardiness and reliably performs in northern climates (zones 3–7), making it a dependable choice for homesteaders and orchardists in short-season areas. Its reliable productivity and disease resistance make it easy to manage organically or in low-spray systems. As an early bloomer, Zestar! also serves as a valuable pollinator for other early and mid-season apple varieties.

Key Characteristics

Exceptional early-season flavor and texture
While most early apples are soft and bland, Zestar! surprises with a crisp bite and complex flavor — juicy, with notes of brown sugar, lemon, and spice. Great for fresh eating, sauce, and light baking.

Cold hardy and well-suited to northern climates
Bred by the University of Minnesota, Zestar! is hardy to USDA Zone 3 and reliably produces in short-season and frost-prone regions, making it ideal for northern orchards and high-altitude food forests.

Good disease resistance and low-input management
Zestar! shows resistance to apple scab and fireblight, making it a smart choice for organic growers, home orchards, and low-maintenance systems.

Important role in pollination networks
As an early blooming variety, Zestar! is a valuable pollinator for other early and mid-season apples, helping ensure strong fruit set across the orchard.

Great fit for food forests and fruit tree guilds
With a manageable growth habit and early production, Zestar! fits well into diverse orchard designs, particularly in food forests, silvopasture edges, and guilds that support layered, multifunctional plantings.

Product Details

  • Sun requirements: Full sun
  • Soil requirements: Medium, well-drained
  • Bloom time: Early season
  • Bloom color: White to pale pink
  • Fruit qualities: Crisp, juicy, sweet-tart with brown sugar notes
  • Fruit uses: Fresh eating, sauce, light baking, short-term storage
  • Fruit ripening month: Late August to early September
  • Required chill hours: 800–1000
  • Pollination requirements: Not self-fertile; requires a different apple variety blooming at the same time
  • Pollination partners: Good partners include Apple, Gala, Apple, Liberty, Apple, Freedom, Apple, Mollie Delicious, and Apple, Carolina Red June
  • USDA Hardiness zones: 3–7

If you’re looking to kick off apple season early without sacrificing flavor or crunch, Zestar! is an excellent choice. Its northern hardiness, complex flavor, and role as an early pollinator make it a foundational apple for regenerative orchards.

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Zestar Apple Bare Root Fruit Tree For Sale

Apple, Zestar

$5495

Apple, Zestar! (Malus domestica ‘Zestar!’)

Developed by the University of Minnesota for northern growers, Zestar! is an early-season apple known for its exceptional flavor and crispness — a rare trait for summer apples. It ripens in late August to early September and delivers a well-balanced sweet-tart taste with notes of brown sugar and citrus. Unlike most early apples, Zestar! holds its texture well off the tree and even offers a brief storage life of 6–8 weeks under refrigeration.

This cultivar was bred for cold hardiness and reliably performs in northern climates (zones 3–7), making it a dependable choice for homesteaders and orchardists in short-season areas. Its reliable productivity and disease resistance make it easy to manage organically or in low-spray systems. As an early bloomer, Zestar! also serves as a valuable pollinator for other early and mid-season apple varieties.

Key Characteristics

Exceptional early-season flavor and texture
While most early apples are soft and bland, Zestar! surprises with a crisp bite and complex flavor — juicy, with notes of brown sugar, lemon, and spice. Great for fresh eating, sauce, and light baking.

Cold hardy and well-suited to northern climates
Bred by the University of Minnesota, Zestar! is hardy to USDA Zone 3 and reliably produces in short-season and frost-prone regions, making it ideal for northern orchards and high-altitude food forests.

Good disease resistance and low-input management
Zestar! shows resistance to apple scab and fireblight, making it a smart choice for organic growers, home orchards, and low-maintenance systems.

Important role in pollination networks
As an early blooming variety, Zestar! is a valuable pollinator for other early and mid-season apples, helping ensure strong fruit set across the orchard.

Great fit for food forests and fruit tree guilds
With a manageable growth habit and early production, Zestar! fits well into diverse orchard designs, particularly in food forests, silvopasture edges, and guilds that support layered, multifunctional plantings.

Product Details

If you’re looking to kick off apple season early without sacrificing flavor or crunch, Zestar! is an excellent choice. Its northern hardiness, complex flavor, and role as an early pollinator make it a foundational apple for regenerative orchards.

Pot size

  • 3 Gallon

Rootstock

  • Dwarf G935 Rootstock
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