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Prominent cultivars

Akane was developed in Japan as a cross between Jonathan and Worcester Permain. The fruit is medium to small in size, round to oblate, and dark red. It matures one week ahead of Jonathan. Storage life is only about 3 weeks.

Ambrosia is a very new cultivar that was found as a chance seedling in British Columbia. Its probable parents are Golden Delicious and Starking Delicious. Fruit size is medium, with an attractive red blush and faint stripes on a cream or yellow background. Storage life is rated as very good. The fruit is sweet, low-acid, very juicy, and has a pleasant aroma. Flesh color is cream and fine grained.

Arlet, also known as Swiss Gourmet, was developed in Switzerland as a cross between Golden Delicious and Idared. Apples are medium to large, round to conical, and brightly red striped. Harvest is reportedly 10 days sooner than that of Jonathan, but there is discrepancy in the literature. Fruit appearance has been very poor in the NE-183 planting at Rock Springs. Based upon this fact, we are not recommending planting of Arlet.

Braeburn is a chance seedling from New Zealand most likely of Granny Smith parentage. Fruit is oval, small to medium, with slightly red shoulders over a green background. Braeburn has a long storage life. Red mutations are being discovered, primarily in New Zealand. There is disagreement over its exact maturity date. One source places maturity around Rome Beauty season. These maturity differences may be related to nitrogen fertilization practices and strains. The cultivar is very precocious and growers should be careful not to fruit the trees too soon. Trees at Rock Springs have not been very productive and may be overly sensitive to either spring frosts or chemical thinners.

Cameo was originally introduced as Carousel and was also tested as Wenatchee 66. It is a chance seedling of unknown parentage. The fruit is an attractive bright red striped over a yellow-green ground color. Fruits are round to slightly elongated and medium to large in size. The flesh is firm and creamy white. Flavor has been reported as sweet-tart and well received by consumers. Storage life is reported to be up to 1 year in controlled-atmosphere storage. Fruit matures in mid-October, after Delicious and about the same time as Braeburn.

Carousel. See Cameo.

Chinook is a cross between Splendour and Gala developed at the Summerland Research Centre in British Columbia. In the 1999 NE-183 plantings in Pennsylvania, fruit size has been extremely small. It was released due to its long storage life, but the size will probably keep this from being a viable cultivar in the eastern United States.

Corail. See Sonata.

Cortland was developed at Cornell from a cross of Ben Davis and McIntosh made in 1898. The fruit are roundish oblate, attractively red colored, with a heavy bloom. Trees tend to be precocious and set heavy crops. Being a tip bearer, growth habit is similar to that of Rome Beauty. Standard Cortland may not color well in southern Pennsylvania. Therefore, two new strains having exceptional coloring capability, Redcort and Royal Court, are recommended for planting.

Creston was developed in British Columbia as a Golden type. Fruit is medium to large with a green color that occasionally has a red shoulder. Flesh texture is firm and fine-grained. Fruit ripens around the middle of September in central Pennsylvania.

Cripps Pink (Pink Lady®) is the correct name of the apple cultivar that is being marketed as Pink Lady®. When the tree is purchased, the grower receives a royalty-free license from Pink Lady® America LLC, allowing the grower to use the Pink Lady® name. It was developed in western Australia from a cross between Golden Delicious and Lady Williams. The fruit is medium in size and oblong in shape. The fruit has a pink blush over a yellow background with cream-colored flesh. The fruit has very firm flesh and has a long storage life. Trees are vigorous and upright growing, and are susceptible to fire blight. Most locations in Pennsylvania, however, do not have a long enough growing season to adequately mature the fruit. In central Pennsylvania fruit are harvested still immature around November 5.

Criterion is a chance seedling found in a Delicious and Golden Delicious orchard in Washington. Fruit is medium to large with a shape similar to that of Delicious. It is a clear yellow with an occasional red blush. Fruit matures around Rome Beauty season. The flesh is cream colored with a mildly sweet flavor that is juicy and aromatic.

Delicious is not a new cultivar, but new strains are available. First, considering current economic factors, only spur types are recommended for planting. Second, with the loss of Alar, color and earliness to color will become more important. The following new spur types are available:

Ace Spur is as a limb sport of Oregon Spur and was developed by Columbia Basin Nursery. Although a spur type, it is a very vigorous-growing spur type. Fruit color is similar to that of Oregon Spur but is earlier coloring.
Adams Apple is a very early coloring strain that developed as a limb mutation of Oregon Spur in an orchard in Washington state. Fruit develops 100 percent red color shortly after fruit set. Growth habit is similar to that of Oregon Spur.
Early Red One, although not a spur type, is a weaker-growing nonspur. It deserves mention as one of the darkest strains evaluated. In some areas, it may color too intensely.
Oregon Spur II is a higher-coloring sport of the original Oregon Spur. It also develops stripes, and vigor is similar to that of its parent. Trials in West Virginia indicate that it is a heavy bearer. It will probably replace its parent in new plantings.
Redchief (Campbell) has been one of the best early coloring strains evaluated, but one drawback is its lack of vigor. It is very precocious and if fruited too early will runt out and not fill the allotted space. If designing plantings with this strain, either use a more vigorous rootstock than other spur types or plant trees 1 to 2 feet closer in the row. This strain is no longer patented and may be listed in some catalogs simply as Campbell Delicious.
Schlect Spur, an early coloring strain that may mature earlier as well, was found in Yakima, Washington.
Superchief is a whole tree mutation of Redchief. Like its parent tree, the fruit fills in as a stripe but earlier than Redchief. The tree has the same compact growth habit, so care must be taken not to fruit the tree too soon or it may runt out.

Older strains continue to be productive, but they take longer to develop color than the strains mentioned above. Starkrimson, Oregon Spur I, Redspur, Sturdeespur, and Wellspur have consistently rated lower in color evaluations at 145 to 150 days after bloom. Growers who desire early, high-coloring strains are advised not to depend on these.

Delblush is a cross between Golden Delicious and Blushing Golden and is known in France as Tentation. Fruit size is medium. The color is golden yellow with an orange blush over the shoulders. The fruit has a slightly sweet to subacid flavor as grown in Pennsylvania. Harvest in central Pennsylvania in 2002 was approximately 4 days after Golden Delicious.

Earligold is another chance seedling found in Selah, Washington. Fruit size is medium, having a clear yellow finish with little or no russeting. Fruit from plantings in central Pennsylvania mature approximately 5 days before Ginger Gold. Storage life of this fruit was shorter than that of Ginger Gold. At this point, Earligold should be considered primarily for roadside market sales.

Elstar, sometimes also referred to as Lustre Elstar, was developed in Holland as a cross between Golden Delicious and Ingrid Marie. Fruit is medium to large, round to conical, with red striping over a bright yellow background. Elstar matures in early to mid-September and has a medium storage life. In Europe it is marketed as a red blushed Golden Delicious. Fruit from plantings in central Pennsylvania appear nearly solid red. Fruit is heavily russetted across the shoulders.

Enterprise. See discussion below on scab-resistant apple cultivars.

Fortune was developed by Cornell University and was tested as NY429. Fruits from plantings in central Pennsylvania are large to very large with an attractive overall red color The flesh is creamy white, and the tree may tend toward biennial bearing. At present we do not know how it will perform in the warmer areas of the state. It is popular in New England and is recommended for trial only in areas where McIntosh is grown.

Fuji was developed in Japan as a cross between Ralls Janet and Delicious. Fruit is medium-sized, round to conical. Color has been reported to vary slightly from a solid red like that of Delicious, to light red stripes over a green background. Fuji was heavily planted in California, but poor finish and low packouts have made many growers topwork their trees over to Cripps Pink (Pink Lady) and/or Sundowner. When Fuji was originally planted in Pennsylvania, we had doubts that the growing season was long enough to mature the fruit. It now appears that in most years warmer areas can mature the fruit. However, the strong biennial bearing habit that we observed has not changed and may be related to how long autumn remains warm after harvest. In a replicated trial at Rock Springs, the Myra strain of Fuji is significantly larger than the Sun, BC#2 or Yataka strains. Although yields in 2002 were light due to late-season frost, Myra had the greatest yield of the four strains. BC#2 had the largest mean fruit weight; however, this may have been due to having the lightest crop load. Red sports are being developed and released. Following are some comments on the various available strains:

Akifu #7 is a blush selection from Japan released in 1986. Lynd’s Spur Fuji was found at Lynd's orchard in central Ohio, but the color pattern has not been reported.
Autumn Rose is a full tree mutation of Nagafu 12 found in Oregon
Auvil Early Fuji was discovered in Washington and ripens 6 weeks before standard Fuji. It contains apple mosaic virus and therefore should not be grafted onto G.16 rootstock.
Brak (Kiku®) is a branch mutation found in Japan by a grower from Italy. This strain, if it meets grading standards, will be sold under the brand name of Kiku® Fuji.
Lynd’s Spur Fuji was found at Lynd’s orchard in central Ohio, but the color pattern has not been reported.
BC#1 (Moriho-fu #1) is an irradiated selection from Japan that develops a red blush color pattern.
BC#2 (Moriho-fu #2) is another irradiated selection from Japan that develops a striped color pattern.
Daybreak Fuji (Rankin strain)was found as a limb sport of Yataka in an orchard in Adams County, Pennsylvania. It ripens about 5 days ahead of Yataka and has better color and a smoother skin.
Jubilee Fuji (formerly known as September Wonder Fuji) is an early maturing strain of standard Fuji. In 2002 it ripened in mid-September in Pennsylvania and had excellent fruit color. Flavor in 2002 was only moderate and would have benefited from staying on the tree longer.
Nagafu #2, Nagafu #6, and Nagafu #12 were all developed at the Nagano Research Station in Japan. Nagafu #6 is a striped red, while the other two are blush colored. Of the three, Nagafu #2 is reported to develop the most color.
Sun Fuji is a sport discoverd in California and is reported to have a better color than any of the other strains.
Beni Osho is reported to be a red sport of Yataka.
Myra Red Fuji (Broetje strain) is a red sport found in the Pacific Northwest.
TRECO® Red Fuji (Cooper strain) has a red striped color pattern.
Top Export Fuji (Snyder strain) is a sport of BC#2 with better color capabilities.

Yataka was selected as an early coloring and maturing selection of Fuji. The earliness of maturity was believed to be related primarily to a heavy virus content, and virus-free trees may not have the same characteristics.

Gala was developed in New Zealand as a cross between Kidd's Orange Pippin and Golden Delicious. Fruit is small to medium in size and uniformly oval to round. The original Gala is pale to golden yellow, with bright red-orange stripes. The fruit matures at the end of August in the southern portions of Pennsylvania. Storage life is rated at approximately 3 to 6 months. Gala requires multiple pickings for best quality. Available strains include: Original (Kidd's D8), Brookfield Gala, Buckey Gala (Peace Valley strain), Crimson Gala (Waliser), Extra Red Gala (Wyles), Galaxy Gala (Kiddle), Gale Gala (Malaga), Imperial Gala (Tenroy), Lydia's Red Gala (Hilltop), Spur Gala (Lynd), Pacific Gala (Olsen), Regal Gala (Fulford), Regal Gala (Applewaites), Royal Gala (Tenroy), Scarlet Gala (Creech), TRECO Red Gala No. 42 (Cooper), and Ultrared Gala (Obrogala).

Gala Supreme is a chance seedling that developed from a root sucker on a seedling rootstock in Washington. It should not be confused with Gala or any Gala strain. Fruits have up to a 90 percent attractive red stripe over a yellow ground with pronounced red lenticels. Flesh is firm, crisp, and very juicy. Fruit matures around the time that Delicious does, but should only be stored for 2 to 4 months in common storage. It is not recommended for commercial trials due to its uneven fruit color and fruit finish.

Ginger Gold is a chance seedling found in a commercial orchard in Virginia. It is sold as an early maturing Golden type, harvested in early to mid-August. Fruit finish is very smooth with little russetting. Storage potential is rated as very good. Trees are very precocious. In test plantings in central Pennsylvania, second leaf trees on M.9 size rootstocks have had up to 15 fruits per tree. Trees are susceptible to powdery mildew.

Golden Supreme is a Golden Delicious-like fruit that occasionally has a pink blush. It is a chance seedling and produces fruit that is pleasantly sweet but better and tarter than Golden Delicious. It is also more vigorous than Golden Delicious. In the NE-183 plantings, it is one of the most attractive-looking apples with very little russet. A drawback is that it has not been very precocious in the planting at Rock Springs. May need multiple harvests and tends toward biennial bearing like Golden Delicious.

Hampshire is a chance seedling found in New Hampshire that is being evaluated in the 1999 NE-183 planting. Fruit is medium to large and has a well-colored red surface. It has some McIntosh-looking characteristics. Flowers may have some frost tolerance, since this cultivar did not seem to be excessively affected by late frosts in 2002.

Honeycrisp was developed from a cross between Macoun and Honeygold at the University of Minnesota and tested as Minnesota #1711R. Fruits are large with a 50 to 90 percent solid to mottled scarlet red over green. Storage life in common storage has been as long as 6 to 7 months. Noted for outstanding crispness and juiciness. Leaves of Honeycrisp frequently exhibit a green mottling during the summer. At present, we do not know if the discoloration is affecting production. The tree is not very vigorous and should not be planted on M.9 or B.9 unless they are spaced close together. For further information on this and the other cultivars recently released by the University of Minnesota, go to http://www.apples.umn.edu/nurseries/posters.html.

Jonagold was developed in New York as a cross between Golden Delicious and Jonathan and is rated as one of the best-tasting apples. Although introduced in 1968, Jonagold has become more popular in Europe. Because of this demand, however, it is gaining favor in the United States. Fruit is large and conical, similar to Golden Delicious. Jonagold may have only medium storage potential. It is a vigorously growing triploid and therefore cannot be used as a pollen source. It is also intersterile with Golden Delicious. As with Gala, red sports are being released and there is similar concern about marketplace acceptance of noncoloring strains. Some of the more popular strains are: Morren's Jona-go-red, DeCoster (Swillen), Jonica (Schneica), Nicobel, Rubinstar (Herr), Jored (Nicolai's King Jonagold), and Wilamuta. In addition, many strains are being developed and tested in Europe. These include Crimson, Jomured, Jonabel, Crowngold, and others.

Nittany, although not a new cultivar, has recently attracted attention from many areas outside of Pennsylvania. Discovered as an open-pollinated seedling of York Imperial (pollen source may have been Golden Delicious), it has the flesh color, texture, and firmness of York. Fruit have been described as attractive, oblong, and light cherry red, with a good sweet tart flavor. It is a vigorous tree. The major problem seems to be storage and calcium-related disorders.

Orin is a cross of Golden Delicious by Indo developed in Japan. It has the same parentage as Shizuka and Mutsu. Fruit are medium to large, oblong, and yellow-green in color. The flesh is firm, aromatic, juicy, and very sweet. Test plantings at Rock Springs, however, have shown a tendency for prominent markings of the lenticels. This cultivar will probably not be of sufficient quality to be grown in Pennsylvania.

Piñata is a selection from the apple breeding program in Pillnitz, Germany. Fruit is medium in size with a bright orangish-pink skin. The flesh is cream colored, firm, and fine grained. It is an attractive apple, but it is probably best stored for a few weeks before consumption. When it was first released, it was named Corail®; the name was later changed to Pinova, then to Sonata, and finally Piñata.

Pinova. See Sonata.

Pristine. See section on scab-resistant cultivars.

Rubinette is a high-quality introduction from the Swiss breeding program, a cross between Golden Delicious and Cox's Orange Pippin. The fruit is described as having a brilliant red stripe over a golden ground with a faint russet. Fruit is small and has a very sweet flavor with a slight tang and aroma. Tree growth habit is like that of Golden Delicious; moderately susceptible to powdery mildew and moderately resistant to apple scab.

Sansa is attractive, crisp, aromatic, medium-sized, and sweetflavored. It may be stored for up to 2 months. One report says that Sansa is resistant to apple scab. The fruit matures in central Pennsylvania about 2 weeks before Gala. Good-quality fruit for its season. The trees in the NE-183 planting at Rock Springs have weak vegetative growth, and it is unknown if this is the natural condition of the cultivar.

Shizuka was developed in Japan from a cross between Golden Delicious and Indo. It has the same parentage as Orin and Mutsu. Fruit is very large with a green to yellow skin that occasionally shows a pink blush. Fruit is sweeter than Mutsu, but fruit quality is not as good. Fruit is harvested in late September. Tree growth is very spreading. Shizuka is being promoted as a replacement for Mutsu because it does not appear to be susceptible to blister spot. It is a triploid, and therefore the pollen is not viable.

Silken is a cross between Honeygold and a numbered selection (8C-27-96) developed at the Summerland Research Centre in British Columbia. It is an early apple, ripening in August. The skin has a soft, yellow, almost translucent quality. Fruit is crisp and juicy. Trees are slow growing, but precocious. Limited commercial availability.

Snow Sweet is the latest release from the University of Minnesota. It was developed from a cross between Sharon and Connell Red. The flesh is sweet with a hint of tartness and bright white that does not oxidize very easily. Tree growth habit is more willowy. Fruit ripen approximately 2 weeks after Honeycrisp. For further information on this and the other cultivars recently released by the University of Minnesota, go to http://www.apples.umn.edu/nurseries/posters.html.

Suncrisp (NJ 55) is a large late-season yellow apple, striped orange cheek over a lemon-yellow ground color; conic fruit with crisp yellow flesh; unique spicy flavor; good storage potential. Harvest season is about one week after Delicious. Very precocious; in the NE-183 cultivar trials in central Pennsylvania, it was among trees with the largest yields in their third leaf. Fruit quality improves with a short storage period.

Sunrise is another release from British Columbia and ripens just before Gala. Fruit color is an attractive pinkish-red over a yellow ground color that is medium in size. Fruit flavor is mild to slightly sweet.

Zestar! is the most recent release from the Minnesota breeding program. It is an early season apple that ripens in late August. It was developed from a cross of State Fair x MN 1691. The apples are globose with an average diameter of 3 inches and are typified by a red striping. As a young tree the growth habit is upright. It is susceptible to fire blight. Growers should only make trial plantings of this cultivar. For further information on this and the other cultivars recently released by the University of Minnesota, go to http://www.apples.umn.edu/nurseries/ posters.html.

(Some of the information on specific cultivars was compiled from Pacific Northwest Fruit Testing Association materials as well as the NE-183 Web site, http://www.ne183.org/.)