Apple Variety Chart

Twenty of the most widely grown and sold apples, shown whole and cut through the core: where each came from, how it looks and tastes, what it is best for, when it ripens, how long it keeps, how cold a winter it takes and which diseases it shrugs off.

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Apple Variety Chart poster: twenty apple varieties from Honeycrisp to Gravenstein, each a whole apple beside a half cut through the core, with origin, skin, flesh, sweet to tart and crisp to soft scales, uses, harvest, keeping, zones, chill, scab, fire blight and cedar apple rust ratings and bloom group, then a flavour and texture map, a harvest and keeping calendar, a labelled cut apple, picks by use and bloom groups — **Figure 1.** The Apple Variety Chart compares twenty popular apples whole and cut, with flavour, texture, uses, harvest, keeping, hardiness, disease and bloom group. Select it to open full size, then zoom in.

Contents

1Find an apple by use, taste, season and zone
2Three apples side by side
3Sweet to tart, crisp to soft
4Harvest and keeping through the year
5Inside an apple
6Bloom groups and pollen partners
Sources and notes

1.Find an apple by use, taste, season and zone

Set what matters to you and the list narrows to the varieties that fit. Flavour runs from 1, very sweet, to 9, very tart; texture from 1, very crisp, to 9, soft. Disease ratings are R resistant, M moderate and S susceptible, from university extension tables.

Best for Flavour Harvest Your USDA zone Disease resistance Sort by

20 of 20 varieties

Arkansas Black apple whole beside a half cut through the core: deep red, darkening to near black skin and yellow flesh

Arkansas BlackArkansas, USA, found about 18703

Skin: Deep red, darkening to near black
Flesh: Yellow, fine-grained, hard
Flavour: 6 of 9, sweet-tart
Texture: 1 of 9, very crisp
Best for: FreshBakingCiderKeeping
Harvest: Mid Oct to early Nov (late)
Keeps: 2–4 months in cold storage
Zones: 5–9; chill 500–600 h
Disease: Scab S Fire blight M Cedar rust R
Pollination: Bloom group 3, triploid: grow two other varieties with it
Note: Darkens in storage

Braeburn apple whole beside a half cut through the core: red-orange flush and stripes over green-yellow skin and cream-yellow flesh

BraeburnNew Zealand, found 19524

Skin: Red-orange flush and stripes over green-yellow
Flesh: Cream-yellow, firm, very juicy
Flavour: 6 of 9, sweet-tart
Texture: 2 of 9, very crisp
Best for: FreshBakingKeeping
Harvest: Mid to late Oct (late)
Keeps: 4–5 months in cold storage
Zones: 5–9; chill 700 h
Disease: Scab S Fire blight S Cedar rust S
Pollination: Bloom group 4, partly self-fertile; a partner still helps
Note: Needs a long season

Cortland apple whole beside a half cut through the core: red flush and stripes over green-yellow skin and very white flesh

CortlandNew York, USA, released 19153

Skin: Red flush and stripes over green-yellow
Flesh: Very white, slow to brown
Flavour: 5 of 9, sweet-tart
Texture: 6 of 9, medium
Best for: FreshBakingSauce
Harvest: Mid to late Sep (mid season)
Keeps: 2–3 months in cold storage
Zones: 4–7; chill not listed
Disease: Scab S Fire blight S Cedar rust S
Pollination: Bloom group 3, partly self-fertile; a partner still helps
Note: White flesh for salads

Cosmic Crisp apple whole beside a half cut through the core: deep red, pale starry lenticels skin and yellow-white flesh

Cosmic CrispWashington, USA, released 20194

Skin: Deep red, pale starry lenticels
Flesh: Yellow-white, slow to brown
Flavour: 4 of 9, sweet-tart
Texture: 1 of 9, very crisp
Best for: FreshKeeping
Harvest: Late Sep to mid Oct (mid season)
Keeps: 4–5 months in cold storage
Zones: not yet rated; chill not listed
Disease: Scab n/a Fire blight M Cedar rust n/a
Pollination: Bloom group 4, needs a partner variety
Note: Enterprise x Honeycrisp

Empire apple whole beside a half cut through the core: deep maroon-red, waxy bloom skin and creamy white flesh

EmpireNew York, USA, released 19663

Skin: Deep maroon-red, waxy bloom
Flesh: Creamy white, juicy
Flavour: 4 of 9, sweet-tart
Texture: 3 of 9, crisp
Best for: Fresh
Harvest: Mid to late Sep (mid season)
Keeps: 1–3 months in cold storage
Zones: 4–8; chill 800 h
Disease: Scab S Fire blight R Cedar rust R
Pollination: Bloom group 3, partly self-fertile; a partner still helps
Note: McIntosh x Red Delicious

Enterprise apple whole beside a half cut through the core: glossy deep red, thick skin skin and cream-white flesh

EnterpriseIndiana, USA, released 19944

Skin: Glossy deep red, thick skin
Flesh: Cream-white, firm
Flavour: 6 of 9, sweet-tart
Texture: 2 of 9, very crisp
Best for: FreshBakingKeeping
Harvest: Late Oct to early Nov (late)
Keeps: 4–6 months in cold storage
Zones: 4–8; chill not listed
Disease: Scab R Fire blight R Cedar rust R
Pollination: Bloom group 4, needs a partner variety
Note: Scab-immune; a parent of Cosmic Crisp

Fuji apple whole beside a half cut through the core: pink-red speckled stripes over yellow-green skin and white to cream flesh

FujiJapan, released 19623

Skin: Pink-red speckled stripes over yellow-green
Flesh: White to cream, dense, very juicy
Flavour: 2 of 9, sweet
Texture: 2 of 9, very crisp
Best for: FreshKeeping
Harvest: Mid to late Oct (late)
Keeps: 4–6 months in cold storage
Zones: 5–9; chill 500–600 h
Disease: Scab S Fire blight S Cedar rust S
Pollination: Bloom group 3, needs a partner variety
Note: Needs a long, warm season

Gala apple whole beside a half cut through the core: red-orange stripes and flush over yellow skin and cream-yellow flesh

GalaNew Zealand, bred 1930s4

Skin: Red-orange stripes and flush over yellow
Flesh: Cream-yellow, fine, aromatic
Flavour: 2 of 9, sweet
Texture: 4 of 9, crisp
Best for: Fresh
Harvest: Late Aug to mid Sep (early)
Keeps: 2–3 months in cold storage
Zones: 4–9; chill 400–600 h
Disease: Scab S Fire blight S Cedar rust S
Pollination: Bloom group 4, partly self-fertile; a partner still helps
Note: Very susceptible to fire blight

Golden Delicious apple whole beside a half cut through the core: green-yellow ripening gold, russet dots skin and pale cream flesh

Golden DeliciousWest Virginia, USA, found about 19054

Skin: Green-yellow ripening gold, russet dots
Flesh: Pale cream, fine, juicy
Flavour: 2 of 9, sweet
Texture: 5 of 9, medium
Best for: FreshBakingSauce
Harvest: Late Sep to mid Oct (mid season)
Keeps: 3–4 months in cold storage
Zones: 5–8; chill not listed
Disease: Scab S Fire blight S Cedar rust S
Pollination: Bloom group 4, partly self-fertile; a partner still helps
Note: Parent of Gala, Jonagold and Pink Lady

Granny Smith apple whole beside a half cut through the core: bright solid green, pale lenticels skin and white to greenish flesh

Granny SmithAustralia, found 18683

Skin: Bright solid green, pale lenticels
Flesh: White to greenish, dense
Flavour: 9 of 9, tart
Texture: 1 of 9, very crisp
Best for: FreshBakingSauceKeeping
Harvest: Mid Oct to early Nov (late)
Keeps: 4–6 months in cold storage
Zones: 5–9; chill not listed
Disease: Scab S Fire blight S Cedar rust R
Pollination: Bloom group 3, partly self-fertile; a partner still helps
Note: Needs a long season; holds shape in pies

Gravenstein apple whole beside a half cut through the core: red stripes and blush over yellow-green skin and cream-white flesh

GravensteinDenmark, known by 17971

Skin: Red stripes and blush over yellow-green
Flesh: Cream-white, juicy, browns fast
Flavour: 7 of 9, tart
Texture: 6 of 9, medium
Best for: FreshBakingSauceCider
Harvest: Late Jul to late Aug (early)
Keeps: 1–4 weeks in cold storage
Zones: 5–9; chill 700 h
Disease: Scab S Fire blight S Cedar rust n/a
Pollination: Bloom group 1, triploid: grow two other varieties with it
Note: Triploid; use within weeks

Honeycrisp apple whole beside a half cut through the core: red mottled and striped over yellow skin and cream flesh

HoneycrispMinnesota, USA, released 19914

Skin: Red mottled and striped over yellow
Flesh: Cream, coarse, very juicy
Flavour: 3 of 9, sweet
Texture: 1 of 9, very crisp
Best for: FreshSauceKeeping
Harvest: Early to late Sep (mid season)
Keeps: 3–6 months in cold storage
Zones: 3–7; chill not listed
Disease: Scab M Fire blight R Cedar rust S
Pollination: Bloom group 4, needs a partner variety
Note: One of the hardiest major apples

Jonagold apple whole beside a half cut through the core: red-orange flush and stripes over yellow skin and cream-yellow flesh

JonagoldNew York, USA, released 19684

Skin: Red-orange flush and stripes over yellow
Flesh: Cream-yellow, juicy
Flavour: 4 of 9, sweet-tart
Texture: 4 of 9, crisp
Best for: FreshBakingSauceCider
Harvest: Mid Sep to early Oct (mid season)
Keeps: 2–3 months in cold storage
Zones: 4–8; chill 700–800 h
Disease: Scab S Fire blight S Cedar rust R
Pollination: Bloom group 4, triploid: grow two other varieties with it
Note: Triploid: needs two pollen partners

Liberty apple whole beside a half cut through the core: red blush and stripes over yellow skin and cream-white flesh

LibertyNew York, USA, released 19782

Skin: Red blush and stripes over yellow
Flesh: Cream-white, juicy
Flavour: 6 of 9, sweet-tart
Texture: 4 of 9, crisp
Best for: FreshSauceCider
Harvest: Mid Sep to early Oct (mid season)
Keeps: 1–2 months in cold storage
Zones: 4–7; chill not listed
Disease: Scab R Fire blight R Cedar rust R
Pollination: Bloom group 2, needs a partner variety
Note: Scab-immune, low-spray choice

McIntosh apple whole beside a half cut through the core: deep red flush over green skin and bright white flesh

McIntoshOntario, Canada, found 18112

Skin: Deep red flush over green
Flesh: Bright white, tender, aromatic
Flavour: 6 of 9, sweet-tart
Texture: 7 of 9, tender
Best for: FreshSauce
Harvest: Early to mid Sep (mid season)
Keeps: 2–3 months in cold storage
Zones: 4–7; chill 900 h
Disease: Scab S Fire blight S Cedar rust R
Pollination: Bloom group 2, needs a partner variety
Note: Parent of Cortland and Empire

Northern Spy apple whole beside a half cut through the core: red flush and stripes over yellow-green skin and pale yellow-white flesh

Northern SpyNew York, USA, found about 18005

Skin: Red flush and stripes over yellow-green
Flesh: Pale yellow-white, juicy
Flavour: 6 of 9, sweet-tart
Texture: 4 of 9, crisp
Best for: FreshBakingCiderKeeping
Harvest: Mid to late Oct (late)
Keeps: 4–6 months in cold storage
Zones: 4–7; chill not listed
Disease: Scab S Fire blight S Cedar rust S
Pollination: Bloom group 5, needs a partner variety
Note: Slow to start bearing

Pink Lady apple whole beside a half cut through the core: pink blush over yellow-green skin and white flesh

Pink LadyWestern Australia, bred 1970s3

Skin: Pink blush over yellow-green
Flesh: White, fine, slow to brown
Flavour: 6 of 9, sweet-tart
Texture: 2 of 9, very crisp
Best for: FreshKeeping
Harvest: Late Oct to mid Nov (late)
Keeps: 4–6 months in cold storage
Zones: 6–9; chill 300–600 h
Disease: Scab S Fire blight S Cedar rust R
Pollination: Bloom group 3, partly self-fertile; a partner still helps
Note: Colours best after cool autumn nights

Red Delicious apple whole beside a half cut through the core: deep red, faint stripes, five crown points skin and white to cream flesh

Red DeliciousIowa, USA, found 1870s4

Skin: Deep red, faint stripes, five crown points
Flesh: White to cream, fine, juicy
Flavour: 1 of 9, sweet
Texture: 5 of 9, medium
Best for: Fresh
Harvest: Late Sep to early Oct (mid season)
Keeps: 3–5 months in cold storage
Zones: 5–8; chill 700 h
Disease: Scab S Fire blight R Cedar rust R
Pollination: Bloom group 4, needs a partner variety
Note: Reddens before it is ripe

SweeTango apple whole beside a half cut through the core: red blush, faint stripes, over yellow skin and creamy white flesh

SweeTangoMinnesota, USA, selected 19994

Skin: Red blush, faint stripes, over yellow
Flesh: Creamy white, coarse, very juicy
Flavour: 5 of 9, sweet-tart
Texture: 1 of 9, very crisp
Best for: Fresh
Harvest: Late Aug to early Sep (early)
Keeps: 3–4 months in cold storage
Zones: 4–7; chill not listed
Disease: Scab M Fire blight M Cedar rust n/a
Pollination: Bloom group 4, needs a partner variety
Note: Ripens 2 to 3 weeks before Honeycrisp

Winesap apple whole beside a half cut through the core: dark wine-red, small pale dots skin and yellowish flesh

Winesapeastern USA, 1700s3

Skin: Dark wine-red, small pale dots
Flesh: Yellowish, very juicy, winy
Flavour: 7 of 9, tart
Texture: 3 of 9, crisp
Best for: FreshBakingCiderKeeping
Harvest: Early to late Oct (late)
Keeps: 4–6 months in cold storage
Zones: 5–8; chill not listed
Disease: Scab S Fire blight S Cedar rust R
Pollination: Bloom group 3, triploid: grow two other varieties with it
Note: A classic cider apple

2.Three apples side by side

Choose up to three varieties, or press Compare on any apple in the list above. Every row of the chart lines up so differences stand out.

First apple Second apple Third apple

Side by side
Variety	Honeycrisp	Granny Smith	Fuji

Origin	Minnesota, USA, released 1991	Australia, found 1868	Japan, released 1962
Parentage	Keepsake x MN1627 (MN1627 = Duchess of Oldenburg x Golden Delicious), per 2017 DNA pedigree study; originally recorded as Macoun x Honeygold	Chance seedling, possibly of French Crab	Ralls Janet x Red Delicious
Skin	Red mottled and striped over yellow	Bright solid green, pale lenticels	Pink-red speckled stripes over yellow-green
Flesh	Cream, coarse, very juicy	White to greenish, dense	White to cream, dense, very juicy
Flavour	3 of 9, sweet	9 of 9, tart	2 of 9, sweet
Texture	1 of 9, very crisp	1 of 9, very crisp	2 of 9, very crisp
Best for	FreshSauceKeeping	FreshBakingSauceKeeping	FreshKeeping
Harvest	Early to late Sep	Mid Oct to early Nov	Mid to late Oct
Keeps	3–6 months	4–6 months	4–6 months
Zones	3–7	5–9	5–9
Chill hours	not listed	not listed	500–600 h
Scab	M moderate	S susceptible	S susceptible
Fire blight	R resistant	S susceptible	S susceptible
Cedar apple rust	S susceptible	R resistant	S susceptible
Bloom group	4	3	3

3.Sweet to tart, crisp to soft

Each apple sits by its usual flavour, left to right, and texture, top to bottom. Highlight a use to see where the pie apples or the sauce apples fall, and select an apple for its details. Positions are averages: apples taste sweeter and turn softer as they ripen and age in storage.

HoneycrispGalaFujiGranny SmithGolden DeliciousRed DeliciousMcIntoshBraeburnPink LadyJonagoldCortlandEmpireNorthern SpyLibertyEnterpriseArkansas BlackWinesapCosmic CrispSweeTangoGravenstein

crispersofter sweeterflavour, 1 to 9more tart

Honeycrisp

Minnesota, USA, released 1991

Flavour 3, sweet; texture 1, very crisp.

Cream, coarse, very juicy. One of the hardiest major apples.

FreshSauceKeeping

4.Harvest and keeping through the year

Gravenstein can be picked in late July; Pink Lady hangs on into November. Choose a month to see which apples are ready on the tree and which should still be good from cold storage.

Month

Ready to pick in October

Jonagold mid Sep to early Oct
Liberty mid Sep to early Oct
Red Delicious late Sep to early Oct
Golden Delicious late Sep to mid Oct
Cosmic Crisp late Sep to mid Oct
Winesap early to late Oct
Fuji mid to late Oct
Northern Spy mid to late Oct
Arkansas Black mid Oct to early Nov
Granny Smith mid Oct to early Nov
Braeburn mid to late Oct
Enterprise late Oct to early Nov
Pink Lady late Oct to mid Nov

Still good from storage in October

Honeycrisp keeps 3–6 months
SweeTango keeps 3–4 months
Gala keeps 2–3 months
McIntosh keeps 2–3 months
Cortland keeps 2–3 months
Empire keeps 1–3 months

Harvest (coloured by season) and keeping in cold storage (blue), July to June
	JulAugSepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJun
Gravenstein
SweeTango
Gala
Honeycrisp
McIntosh
Cortland
Empire
Jonagold
Liberty
Red Delicious
Golden Delicious
Cosmic Crisp
Winesap
Fuji
Northern Spy
Arkansas Black
Granny Smith
Braeburn
Enterprise
Pink Lady

Harvest shifts two to three weeks with latitude, elevation and season. Keeping times are for sound fruit in ordinary cold storage near 32°F with high humidity; the pale end of each blue bar is the longest a variety usually lasts.

Windfall apples lying in orchard grass among fallen leaves: a striped Honeycrisp, a Gala, a green Granny Smith, a pink-blushed Pink Lady, a McIntosh, a yellow Golden Delicious and a near-black Arkansas Black — **Figure 2.** Pick apples from the tree rather than gathering windfalls: bruised or dropped fruit will not keep.

5.Inside an apple

Cut an apple through the stem and you see two of its five seed cavities, the faint ring of the core line and the calyx tube running down to the dried sepals. Flesh colour, grain and how quickly a cut face browns all differ from one variety to the next.

A Fuji apple cut in half through the stem: cream flesh, a thin red skin, the heart-shaped core line, two seed cavities with brown seeds and the calyx at the base — **Figure 3.** A Fuji cut through the core.

StemShort and woody.
Stem cavityOften russeted.
Skin and lenticelsColour, stripes, breathing pores.
Core lineRing of vascular bundles.
Seed cavityFive carpels, papery walls.
SeedUp to two per carpel.
FleshThe swollen floral tube.
CalyxDried sepals in the basin.
BrowningCut flesh browns as enzymes meet air. Cortland, Pink Lady and Cosmic Crisp are slow to brown; Gravenstein browns fast.
SeedlingsAn apple seed does not grow into the variety it came from, so every named variety is grafted onto a rootstock.

6.Bloom groups and pollen partners

Apples need pollen from a different variety in flower at the same time, carried by bees. Choose the apple you want to grow to see partners from this chart that bloom with it. Triploids, such as Jonagold, have poor pollen: grow two other varieties with them.

Apple you want to grow

Honeycrisp blooms in group 4, mid to late.

Plant at least one of the partners below within about 100 feet. Crabapples in the same bloom group work too.

A whole Braeburn apple, red-orange flush and stripes over green-yellow

Braeburn
group 4, partly self-fertile

Best: same group

A whole Cosmic Crisp apple, deep red, pale starry lenticels

Cosmic Crisp
group 4

Best: same group

A whole Enterprise apple, glossy deep red, thick skin

Enterprise
group 4

Best: same group

A whole Gala apple, red-orange stripes and flush over yellow

Gala
group 4, partly self-fertile

Best: same group

A whole Golden Delicious apple, green-yellow ripening gold, russet dots

Golden Delicious
group 4, partly self-fertile

Best: same group

A whole Red Delicious apple, deep red, faint stripes, five crown points

Red Delicious
group 4

Best: same group

A whole SweeTango apple, red blush, faint stripes, over yellow

SweeTango
group 4

Best: same group

A whole Cortland apple, red flush and stripes over green-yellow

Cortland
group 3, partly self-fertile

Good: next group

A whole Empire apple, deep maroon-red, waxy bloom

Empire
group 3, partly self-fertile

Good: next group

A whole Fuji apple, pink-red speckled stripes over yellow-green

Fuji
group 3

Good: next group

A whole Granny Smith apple, bright solid green, pale lenticels

Granny Smith
group 3, partly self-fertile

Good: next group

A whole Northern Spy apple, red flush and stripes over yellow-green

Northern Spy
group 5

Good: next group

A whole Pink Lady apple, pink blush over yellow-green

Pink Lady
group 3, partly self-fertile

Good: next group

The five bloom groups
1 Early	Gravenstein (triploid)
2 Early to mid	McIntosh, Liberty
3 Mid	Fuji, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Cortland, Empire, Arkansas Black (triploid), Winesap (triploid)
4 Mid to late	Honeycrisp, Gala, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Braeburn, Jonagold (triploid), Enterprise, Cosmic Crisp, SweeTango
5 Late	Northern Spy

Sources and notes

Disease ratings follow the Purdue Extension cultivar susceptibility table, checked against the Ontario, Cooperative Extension and Pacific Northwest tables; where they disagree, the Purdue rating is used. Origins and dates come from the breeding programmes, patents and the US Apple Association. Harvest windows, keeping times and zones are typical ranges for home orchards and shift with strain, rootstock, climate and season. Chill hours are published for only some varieties. Flavour and texture positions are editorial placements from the source descriptions, not measurements.

Purdue Extension (J. Beckerman): Disease Susceptibility of Common Apple Cultivars, BP-132-W
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness: disease susceptibility ratings of common apple cultivars
Cooperative Extension, apples.extension.org: apple cultivar susceptibility to cedar-apple rust; apple cultivar fire blight susceptibility
Pacific Northwest Pest Management Handbooks (Oregon State, Washington State and University of Idaho): apple cultivar susceptibility table
University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension: characteristics of recommended apple varieties
Rutgers Cooperative Extension: Classic and Novel Dessert Apple Varieties for Commercial Orchards in New Jersey, FS1303
University of Missouri Integrated Pest Management (M. Warmund): Harvesting Apples in October
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach: How to Harvest and Store Apples
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension: Texas Fruit and Nut Production, Apples (EHT-017)
University of Arizona Cooperative Extension: low-chill deciduous fruit and nut varieties for Arizona, AZ1269
S. K. Brown and D. E. Terry, Cornell University (NYSAES): The Cornell University Apple Breeding Program, Fruit Varieties Journal 51(4), 1997
N. P. Howard et al., University of Minnesota: Elucidation of the Honeycrisp pedigree through haplotype analysis, Horticulture Research 4, 2017
US Plant Patent PP18812 (University of Minnesota): apple tree named Minneiska (SweeTango)
US Plant Patent PP24210 (Washington State University Research Foundation): apple tree named WA 38 (Cosmic Crisp)
Washington State University: Cosmic Crisp release and orchard notes (WSU Foundation; CAHNRS News)
US Apple Association: apple variety pages (Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, McIntosh, Empire, Cripps Pink)
CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas: Arkansas Black Apple
Orange Pippin (secondary): variety pages for flowering group, ploidy, hardiness and descriptions
Dave Wilson Nursery variety descriptions (secondary): chill hours for some varieties