Pink Lady Apple
Apple variety
Pink Lady (Cripps Pink) is the warm-climate connoisseur's apple - the last picked each year, pink-blushed and fizzy sweet-sharp, needing a long hot season and rewarding it with months of storage.
Pink Lady - properly the variety Cripps Pink, bred in Western Australia - is what happens when Golden Delicious meets the sun-hardened Lady Williams: an apple that shrugs at heat, needs almost no winter chill, hangs until November and snaps with a unique 'fizzy' sweet-sharp bite. For zone 7-9 gardens where classic apples sulk, this is the quality option.
Fruit & flavor
Medium, pink-rose blush over pale gold; very crisp, dense flesh with high sugar AND high acid at once - the trademark effervescent tang. Slow to brown when cut, a bonus for lunchboxes and salads.
Tree size & rootstocks
Vigorous and upright; manage on M9/M26 (2.5-3 m) or MM106 (4-5 m) with limb-spreading to calm it. Precocious despite the vigor.
Pollination
Self-sterile; pair with Gala, Fuji or Granny Smith (all overlap its bloom and share its warm-climate range).
Climate & hardiness
Zones 6-9: low chill requirement, high heat tolerance, but demands ~200 frost-free days - the longest season of any mainstream apple. Where autumn ends early, the fruit never reaches its trademark balance.
Site & soil
Maximum sun; ordinary well-drained soil, pH 6.0-7.0. In the hottest districts a little afternoon-shade cloth prevents sunburn on exposed fruit.
Pruning & care
Summer-prune to control vigor and expose fruit to light (the blush is sun-made). Thin to singles; late varieties carry their crop a long time and repay the reduced load.
Harvest & storage
Late October-November, after nearly everything else; the blush deepening plus brown seeds mark readiness. Stores 4-6 months - with Fuji, the best of the home keepers.
Problems
Sunburn and bitter pit in stressed trees, fireblight where endemic, codling moth exposure over its long hang. None severe with basic care.
FAQ
Why is my fruit green with no pink?
The blush needs direct sun and cool nights late in the season - open the canopy and be patient into November.
Pink Lady or Cripps Pink - which do I have?
Same variety: 'Pink Lady' is the trademark for top-grade fruit; nurseries sell the tree as Cripps Pink.
🌦️ Varieties behave differently by region, rootstock and season - ripening months here assume a mid-temperate northern-hemisphere garden. Check local nursery guidance for your exact climate, and never rely on a single source for spray decisions.