Non-Typical Apple™
You're making an investment in your land — protect it. Each kit has a Tree Pro tube and a slow-release fertilizer block for one tree. The tube keeps deer and rabbits off and can double your growth rate; the fertilizer feeds the tree through its first season. Plant with a kit, follow the Growing Guide, and your trees are covered by our 1-Year Survival Guarantee.
What you're planting
- Drop Time
- Sept – Nov
- First Crop
- 4–6 years
- Produces
- Every year
- Pollination
- Plant 2 or more
- Zones
- 3–9
- Sun
- Full sun
- Soil & Site
- Acidic, well-drained. pH 5.5–7.5. Adapts to most soils.
- Size & Spacing
- 15–25ft · plant 20ft apart
The toughest apple you'll ever plant
Orders placed now are for Spring 2027 shipment
We take orders in advance and ship at the proper time for spring planting in your region — mid-December in the Deep South through the end of May up north. Pick your state under "When Will My Order Ship?" below and you’ll see your exact ship dates.
Get your order in now, we sell out early every season!
Non-Typical Apple™
Non-Typical Apples produce a green/yellow to red 2.5-3.5in diameter apple that ripens in late Sept. and holds on the tree until late Oct. some may persist even longer. Ripening and drop dates may vary slightly from tree to tree as these are derived from wild type apples that have more variable habits than many common varieties. Apples are tart but with good flavor and are very attractive to all wildlife. Good for human consumption as well. Produces in just 4-6 years under good conditions. Non-Typical Apples have a long tap root that gives them great drought resistance, however they can withstand moist areas as well.
Considered by many to be a "wimpy" tree apples sometimes get a bad rap from conservationists. Often, the reputation is accurate as many try to grow varieties suited for orchards, which usually results in failure in a conservation setting. Most varieties of apples need a lot of care and careful selection to find a variety suited to your specific conditions, location, and soil type. That can mean wading through dozens of varieties trying to find one that will do well on your land.
We like to keep it simple, and provide trees that will do well in a wide range of conditions without constant care. That's why right now we only sell one variety of apple, our Non-Typical Apple. There are dozens of varieties of apples out there to choose from however, we feel this one is the best suited to our customers and their goals. We have selected the apples for our Non-Typical Apples to be suited for the woods, not just an orchard.
Derived from wild trees, our Non-Typical Apples have among the best traits for a wildlife tree. They can grow in neglectful conditions with little to no care, they have few problems with disease or pests meaning there is little need to spray as with most other apples, and they can thrive and produce in a wide range of conditions and soil types. With most apple varieties, each variety is only suited to a few growing zones due to very specific chill hour requirements (hours spent below 45 degrees). Our Non-Typical Apples have no chill hour requirements meaning they will do great anywhere in zone 3-9.
Despite having no chill requirements, they are very cold hardy and are one of the few offerings we have that will survive zone 3.
Plant each tree with one of our Survival Kits (a Tree Pro tube and a slow-release fertilizer block), follow our planting instructions, and it’s covered by our 1-Year Survival Guarantee. Full details here.
Growing zones: 3-9
Soil type: Acidic well drained, adapts well to most soils
pH: 5.5-7.5
Sun: Full sun
Pollination: Needs at least 2 trees for pollination
Size when shipped: 1yr old approx. 18-48in
Spacing: 20ft
Years till production: 4-6 years
Add Late Drop and keep chestnuts falling into December.
By November most acorns have been mopped up and the woods go quiet. Late Drop Hybrids are selected to drop Nov–late Dec, right when deer have the fewest options. Our recommendation: a 1:1 mix.
Questions we get about Non-Typical Apple™
We don't ship on the day you order. We take orders in advance and ship at the proper time for spring planting in each region — from mid-December in the Deep South through the end of May up north. Pick your state below to see your exact window. Orders placed after your region has already shipped go out within 5–10 business days.
A Tree Pro grow tube and a slow-release fertilizer block for one tree. The tube protects the seedling from deer and rabbits and can double its growth rate; the fertilizer block feeds the tree through its first growing season. Every tree we ship is already inoculated with beneficial mycorrhizae, so there's nothing else to add — plant it in the kit, follow the Growing Guide, and it's covered by our 1-Year Survival Guarantee.
Plant with a Survival Kit and we guarantee the tree for a full year. If a tree dies within one year of the day it's delivered, we'll issue you store credit for what you paid for it. You don't have to worry about spending your money on something that may or may not make it.
To be covered, plant each tree with one of our Survival Kits (a Tree Pro tube and a slow-release fertilizer block), keep the tube on, and follow our planting instructions. Email us photos and your order number within a year of delivery.
For all details and conditions, see here: 1-Year Survival Guarantee
