North American Apple Varieties

Red Delicious is one of the world's most common apple varieties, dating back to 1880, when it was discovered by Jesse Hiatt in Iowa. The apples were first known as Hawkeye, then Stark Delicious, and it wasn't until the e... READ MORE

Golden Delicious is an apple variety that's believed to be a product of unintentional breeding between Grimes Golden and Golden Reinette. It has no connection to the Red Delicious. The original tree was discovered in West Virginia at the ... READ MORE

Honeycrisp are American native apples originating from the University of Minnesota. They're also the state's official fruit. The apples were bred solely for their flavor, not for easy storing, shipping, or growing. They have a balanced sw... READ MORE

McIntosh is an apple variety with origins in Dundela, Upper Canada in 1811, when it was discovered by John McIntosh, hence the name. Commercial production started in 1870. These apples have a vivid red color brushed with bright green blus... READ MORE

Idared is an apple variety that was first developed in Idaho. It's a cross between the Jonathan and Wagener breeds. The apples are medium-sized with a bright red and green-red color. The flesh is juicy, crisp, and firm, while the flavors ... READ MORE

Cosmic Crisp (known to experts as WA 38) is an American apple variety that's a cross between Honeycrisp and Enterprise. Grown in Washington State orchards, the apples are large, red, crunchy, juicy, acidic, and ... READ MORE

Jonathan is an apple variety that's believed to have originated in Woodstock, New York in 1826. This apple is a parent to many other varieties such as Jonagold, Jonafree, and Jonamac. The apples are medium-sized... READ MORE

Ambrosia is an apple variety originating from British Columbia, Canada, when it was discovered in the early 1990s. It's believed to be a cross between Golden Delicious and Jonagold. The apples are medium to large in size, while the skin i... READ MORE

Spartan is a Canadian apple variety that's been developed in 1936 in British Columbia by Dr. R. C. Palmer. Its identity is still a mystery, and all that's known is that these apples are a hybrid of McIntosh and an unknown apple variety. T... READ MORE

Enterprise is a North American apple variety that's been developed in 1982 by Purdue University, and it was released and named in 1992. The apples are medium to large in size. The skin is smooth, tough, thick, and glossy red in color with... READ MORE

Empire is an apple variety that was cultivated as a hybrid between McIntosh and Red Delicious in Geneva, New York in 1945. The apples are bright red in color with faint white striations and a light green blush. The flesh is creamy white i... READ MORE

Cortland is an American apple variety dating back to 1898, when it was raised at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station and named after Cortland County. These apples are bright red with dark red streaks, and often a green blus... READ MORE

Grimes Golden is an American apple variety hailing from Brooke County, West Virginia, where it was discovered in 1804. The apples have a golden green skin and a noticable perfume. Beneath the skin, the texture of the flesh is slightly sof... READ MORE

Rhode Island Greening is an American apple variety. It's also the official state apple of Rhode Island, with a variable size that tends to be large, round to oblong. The skin is bright green, while the texture of the flesh is creamy and firm. The ... READ MORE

Baldwin is an apple variety that was discovered in Massachusetts in the 18th century. These apples are hard and bright red in color, available in fall through winter. The texture of the flesh is creamy and juicy, yet firm, making them ide... READ MORE

Porter is an American apple variety originating from Shelburne, Massachusetts and dating back to 1800. These apples are praised as one of the great apples for making pies, and they were even endorsed in Fannie Farmer Cookbooks. The apples... READ MORE

SweeTango is a brand of apples that's been developed in Minnesota in 2000. These apples are a hybrid of Zestar and Honeycrisp breeds, and they've been commercially sold since 2009. They are characterized by their loud crunch, and they eve... READ MORE

Sweet Sixteen is an American apple variety originating from Minnesota and dating back to 1973, when it was developed as a cross between Malinda and Northern Spy by the University of Minnesota. The apples are large and conical, with a gree... READ MORE

Cameo is an apple variety originating from Dryden, Washington, when it was discovered in 1987 by the Caudle family. It is believed that these apples are a cross between Red Delicious and Golden Delicious, but the parentage is still uncert... READ MORE

Pristine is an American apple variety that's a hybrid of Camuzat and Co Op 10. The apples were developed in Indiana in 1994 as a disease resistant variety. They are round to oblate in shape, while the skin is semi-thick, glossy, waxy, and... READ MORE

Macoun is an apple variety that was developed at the New York State Agricutural Experiment Station, and it was introduced to the market in 1923 by Richard Wellington. The apples are a cross between McIntosh and Jersey Black, and they're n... READ MORE

Stayman is an American apple variety that was develiped in 1866 in Kansas by Joseph Stayman, hence the name. The apples are known for their striking red-green-yellow color. The texture of the flesh is firm, crisp, and juicy, while the fla... READ MORE

Otaheite is an apple variety that's native to Malaysia, but it was introduced to Jamaica in 1793, and nowadays it's mostly associated with Jamaica as a treasured fruit of the island. Also known as Malay rose apple, Mountain apple, and Coco plum, t... READ MORE

Pink Pearl is an American apple variety that was developed in Eureka, California as a seedling of Surprise, which is one of its parents. The apples date back to 1944 when they were introduced to the market by Albert Etter, a plan... READ MORE

Chestnut Crab is an American apple variety originating from Minnesota, where it was developed at the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station in 1946. This cross of Malinda and a crabapple is round, small, and has a reddish bronze color.... READ MORE

Liberty is an American apple variety that was developed in New York as a cross between Macoun and Purdue 54-12 in order to be as disease-resistant as possible. The apples are medium-sized, with a dark red skin and a barely visible yellow ... READ MORE

Fireside is an American apple variety that was introduced in 1943 by the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station. It’s a cross between McIntosh and Longfield varieties, characterized by being able to withstand very low temperature... READ MORE

Opalescent is an American apple variety originating from Michigan and dating back to 1880, when George Hudson found the seedling in Barry County. These apples are large and conical with a pale yellow skin that’s striped bright scarl... READ MORE

Esopus Spitzenburg is an old American apple variety that was discovered in the late 1700s near Esopus in New York’s Hudson Valley. The apples are harvested from September through October, and the flavors improve after picking. The t... READ MORE

Yellow Bellflower is an American apple variety that was discovered before 1817 in Crosswicks, New Jersey. It’s believed that this apple is the parent of Red Delicious. The apples are large to medium in size, oblong to irregularly co... READ MORE

Blue Pearmain is an American apple variety originating from New England, where it was well known even before the early 1800s. These apples have a waxy and slightly tough skin, and the texture of the flesh beneath is tender, crisp, and fin... READ MORE

Smokehouse is an American apple variety originating from Millcreek, Pennsylvania and dating back to 1837. Believed to be a seedling of Vandevere, these apples are large, with a rectangular to truncate-conic shape. The skin is greenish-yel... READ MORE

Arkansas Black is an American apple variety that was discovered in 1870 in Benton County, Arkansas. These apples are small and their color may vary from dark red to deep dark purple, almost black. On the inside, the pulp is bright golden ... READ MORE

Chenango Strawberry is an American apple variety that’s thought to have originated in Lebanon, New York or Chenango County, New York. This summer apple ripens in two to three weeks, and it’s harvested once the skin turns milky... READ MORE

Nittany is an American apple variety that was developed in 1979 in Pennsylvania as a cross between York and Golden Delicious. The apples are medium to large in size and the skin is dull to bright red in color, depending on the climate. Be... READ MORE

Hawaii is an American apple variety that was introduced as a cross between Gravenstein and Golden Delicious in Sebastopol, California around 1945. The apples are large and round, and their clear yellow skin is waxy to the touch. Beneath t... READ MORE

Razor Russet is an American apple variety that was discovered in 1960 in Wallingford, Kentucky as a limb mutation which grew on a Golden Delicious tree. The apples are large, round, and sometimes slightly conical with a golden-brown skin.... READ MORE

Shockley is an American apple variety that was first exhibited at the 1852 Georgia State Fair. These apples range from small to large, and the stem can be medium or long. The skin is smooth and yellowish-green and flushed light to dark re... READ MORE

Criterion is an American apple variety that’s been discovered near Parker, Washington. The apples are a cross between Red Delicious, Yellow Delicious, and Winter Banana, and they’ve been introduced to the market in 1973. The t... READ MORE

Waltana is an American apple variety originating from California and dating back to around 1860. It’s believed that these apples are a seedling of Wagener with Manx Codlin as the pollen parent. The apples are medium to large in size... READ MORE

Melrose is an American apple variety that was developed in Ohio as a cross between Jonathan and Red Delicious. It's also the official apple of the state. The apples have a yellow-green skin streaked with red. The texture of the flesh is f... READ MORE

Black Gilliflower is an apple variety that’s been traced to Connecticut in the late 1700s. This tall and dark apple has greenish flesh that’s quite dry and not crisp at all. The flavors are very sweet and rich and the aroma is... READ MORE