There is never a shortage of new apple varieties, but some varieties tend to stand out for their eating quality, harvest timing, or attractive appearance. Below is a list of varieties that are growing in popularity mostly with farm marketers and a few that are estabishing themselves on the wholesale market. (MAIA varieties listed below require membership in the Midwest Apple Improvement Association.)
MAIA-SM Sweet-MAIA® USPP 34,437
An early-season apple with fall apple qualities. Crispy and sweet with bright, attractive red coloring. A Honeycrisp x Winecrisp cross, this apple ripens at the same time as GingerGold.
Sweetie™ USPP 22,228
Sweetie™ was bred in New Zealand by Plant and Food Research and is a cross between Braeburn and Royal Gala. It is characterized by its elongated fruit and dense structure. Sweetie™ has a sweet, rich taste and develops a red stripe over yellow undertones that can blush over if allowed to fully color. Sweetie™ matures in the early gala season.
AutumnCrisp
Autumn Crisp is crowd pleasing apple with good size, texture, and sweet tart flavor. Ripening a week after Honeycrisp, the fruit is considered non-browning and has a red color over yellow background.
MAIA12 Summerset® USPP 29,213
A Honeycrisp x Fuji cross from the Midwest Apple Improvement Association, Summerset® has a very similar texture to Honeycrisp with a tangier flavor. Ripening time is similar to Honeycrisp.
CrimsonCrisp® USPP 16,622
One of the most popular new farm market varieties, customers love the crunch, tart flavor, and nearly full crimson red color of CrimsonCrisp®. It provides an excellent follow-up to Honeycrisp, ripening a week to 10 days later. This is a must have for the farm stand. The tree is grower friendly with a spreading habit, fruiting throughout two and three-year old branches.
Triumph® USPP 33,756
Triumph® is a Honeycrisp x Liberty cross that ripens a week after Honeycrisp. The fruit has a plesently tart flavor. Triumph® has all been shown to be scab resistant with a storage life of six months.
Firecracker™ USPP 31,145
With a good balance between acidity and sweetness, Firecracker® will appeal to a wide range of apple lovers. The apple bears annually, stores well, and has a crunchy texture. Firecracker® ripens in early October.
RubyRush™ USPP 33,546
Released from the apple breeding program at Rutgers University/New Jersey Agri- cultural Experiment Station, this selection is a GoldRush x Enterprise cross selected for its scab and fireblight resistant traits. The fruit is juicy and aromatic with a crisp texture. The tree is vigorous and should be thinned to avoid biennial bearing.
Story® Inored cv.
Story® Inored cv. is classified as a bi-colored apple, featuring a smooth, shiny, dark red color on a yellow background. Harvesting two weeks after Golden Delicious, the apple is firm with a well-balanced sugar-to-acid ratio. The tree is medium vigor. Story® is a productive, scab- resistant apple with an easy-to-grow tree.
Heliodor™
Heliodor™ is a cross between the Golden Delicious and Topaz, made at the Institute of Experimental Botany in Prague, Czech Republic. It features a bright yellow surface that is smooth, shiny, and russet free, typically without blush. The cultivar produces a medium to large apple with moderate ribbing. The yellow flesh is moderately firm, crisp, and very juicy with a sweet-subacid flavor. This apple is resistant to scab and has very low susceptibility to powdery mildew. Ripens with Golden Delicious or shortly after.
MAIA11 Rosalee® USPP 24,579
A cross between Honeycrisp and Fuji, Rosalee has juicy texture and a floral flavor. Ripening two weeks after Golden Delicious, this apple is an improvement on many of the varieties ripening in that window.
Lucy™ Howell TC2 cv., Howell TC3 cv., & Howell TC7 cv
These apples feature red-colored flesh and sweet/tart berry-like flavors. Quickly becoming a consumer favorite in the red-fleshed category, the Lucy™ series is now available to direct-market growers servicing farmer’s markets, you-pick operations, and fruit stands. The three cultivars are marketed under the tradenames Lucy™ Glo, Lucy™ Rose, and Lucy™ Gem.
Cordera® USPP 30,758
Cordera® is a new scab resistant apple released from the Cornell breeding program. The apple is a sweet, low acid apple with a great crunch. Cordera® ripens in early October.
SnapDragon® USPP 22,228
Developed by Cornell University, SnapDragon® was originally exclusive to growers in New York State but now open to anyone selling direct to customers. Fruit has a crisp and juicy texture with an aromatic flavor. SnapDragon® sizes well and colors to a full red. In Michigan it ripens in early October. Trees are low vigor, so a more vigorous rootstock may be preferred. Special fees and licensing apply for growing SnapDragon®. More information is available by contacting Summit Tree Sales, Inc.
MAIA-L Ludacrisp® USPP 30,472
A large, juicy apple with a tropical flavor is the major draw of Ludacrisp®. Few apples have a flavor this unique. Depending on the growing season, fruit may be a bicolored red/yellow apple or near fully red. Ludacrisp® ripens in mid-October. The tree is quite vigorous with upright branching.
MAIA1 Evercrisp® USPP 24,579
Evercrisp® is undoubtedly one of the best new apples available. It has an incredible sweet tart flavor, astounding firmness, and will keep in standard storage well beyond any commercially available apple. A Honeycrisp x Fuji cross, Evercrisp® inherits a Fuji-like appearance but ripens a few days later.
