Apple Red Delicious (Malus domestica 'Red Delicious') is one of the world's most recognisable dessert (eating) apples, first discovered as a chance seedling on a farm in Wellsberg, Iowa, USA, during the 1870s. Its distinctive deep red, elongated fruit is crisp, mildly sweet and best enjoyed fresh. For much of the twentieth century it became the benchmark commercial apple, valued for its attractive appearance, reliable cropping and good storage life. It remains a classic home orchard variety in cool to warm temperate regions. A parent of the Fuji and Empire apples.
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- Uses: Fresh eating, fruit platters, salads, juice, cider, table arrangements, wreaths
- Pollination: Not self-pollinating; pollination group 4. Suitable pollinators include Granny Smith, Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, Pink Lady™ and Jonathan.
- Harvest: Mid to late season; about March-April in southern Australia
- Chill requirements: About 700–1,000 chill hours; low chill and suited to cool and temperate regions
- Attributes: Reliable bearer, moderately vigorous, good keeper, spur-bearing habit
- Features: Deep crimson fruit with characteristic elongated shape and five-pointed base; white to pale pink spring blossom; attractive autumn foliage
- Also known as: Stark Delicious; Hawkeye (original seedling selection)
Keep your collection labelled. Add a durable engraved plant label to your order, and order extra labels for existing plants so every tree in your collection stays correctly named.
References incl:
Orange Pippin – Red Delicious. (n.d.). Red Delicious apple variety information. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
Pomiferous (accessed 21/7/2026): Red Delicious.
Sanders, R. (2010) The apple book. Frances Lincoln Limited, London, UK.
Images: Copyright Heritage Fruit Trees
