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In planning our heirloom apple orchard, we were looking for a few hardy, reliable crabapples to act as pollinators. Most commonly crabapples are used for pollination, but the fruit are left to the birds.
In my research, I was surprised to find that Dolgo crabapple is both an excellent pollinator, and produces incredibly tasty fruit. Double win!
Dolgo crab apples have an acidic, sweet-tart flavor that reminds me of a sugar-coated cranberry. The fruit are large for a crabapple but quite small by apple standards, about 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter.
Each little olive-shaped fruit is crisp and juicy, with a bright red skin. The color of the skin bleeds into the flesh as you bite it, and gives anything made with dolgo crabapples a bright red hue.
Scott Farm, a local heirloom orchard, notes that “Their best use is in sauces, sorbets, chutney or as a condiment for meat or poultry. They make a beautiful rose-colored jelly. During harvest, the crew will often use these crabapples to suck on for a boost to help finish filling that last apple bin late in the day.”
I find the fruit incredibly refreshing, and I can imagine they’d give you an extra boost after a long day in the sun.
Originally from Kazakhstan, the dolgo crab apple tree is one of the hardiest available. It’s been shown to withstand cold to least -40 degrees F.
It’s also incredibly disease-resistant. The trees bloom over an extended period, which makes them an excellent pollinator for diverse orchards.
The fruit ripens in August and September, but they’ll hold on the tree well into December in mild years. When the last few fruits do fall mid-winter, they’re a favorite mid-winter treat for deer.
That makes dolgo crabs a great choice for planting near deer hunting plots, allow for the harvest of more than just fruit. I like the idea that a single tree will help me fill both my cider cellar and freezer.
Where to Buy Dolgo Crabapple Trees
Unlike a lot of our orchard choices, dolgo crabapple trees are widely available. Several local nurseries in central Vermont carry the trees. Since they’re so popular as an ornamental tree, they’re available at well-stocked nurseries.
If you don’t happen to have a nursery that carries heirloom varieties, there are plenty of nurseries selling them online through Amazon and most have free shipping.
We had a dolgo apple tree in our front yard all my childhood in Quebec City, where deep cold winters were regular, so I can vouch for the hardiness. Beautiful white blossoms in Spring.
Delicious fruit. We ate them off the tree, green or ripe red. The jelly is amazing, beautiful color and lovely tasting.
They are common in Ottawa and eastern Ontario too, often growing wild in parkland.
I also live in zone 4a and am having a hard time sourcing cold-hardy perennial vegetables for my area. Can you share come of your sources. If you have already done so I apologize for not finding the post. Thanks for sharing your information. I am a master gardener and am obsessed with permaculture, food forests and sustainable agriculture but I am always looking for more information. Contact me if you would like to share ideas. I also had a landscape design company at one time. Again thanks
Here is a post all about perennial vegetables that will be very helpful for you. https://practicalselfreliance.com/perennial-vegetables/
etsy seller has Dolgo apples cuttings
Timothy Campbell
Birmingham, AL
Countitjoy5
I have been using Dolgo crabs in my annual cider batch. About 20% dolgos adds a very nice tartness, and the cider remains red, even after a year in the freezer.
That sounds lovely. Thanks for sharing.
Hello, I want a Dolgo crabapple tree and one to plant as a pollinator along with the Dolgo. I am having trouble finding this at my local nursery. Can you help? I would like to plant ASAP, before this winter’s frost. I live in zone 7 in Nashville Tenn.
Can you help me find a tree to buy and suggest one to plant as a pollinator beside it?
Thank you!!
Most mail-order nurseries only sell bare root trees in the early spring. Out of that season, the only real source is a local nursery with potted trees, and that I can’t advise you on.
Dolgo is a very common crab, and many places sell them. I bought mine from fedco trees if I remember right, but most of the big mail order nurseries carry them.
As to a pollinator, I’m not 100% sure there as we have dozens of apple trees on our land so I never really worry about a specific compatible pollinator. We have so many that pollination isn’t an issue.
Most neighborhoods have enough apple trees growing within a mile or so that pollination shouldn’t be an issue even in the suburbs, but that’s not a guarantee. Sorry I can’t be more helpful on the pollination part.
etsy seller has Dolgo apples cuttings
Timothy Campbell
Birmingham, AL
Countitjoy5
etsy seller has Dolgo apples cuttings
Timothy Campbell
Birmingham, AL
Countitjoy5