The cool, crisp nights and warm, sunny, dry days of fall are not only pleasant and enjoyable for many outdoor activities, they are also ideal for apples to ripen.
Unlike the limited selection found on produce shelves most of the year, the apples that can be grown in the home garden and those grown at orchards across the state are highly varied. Each variety has a slightly different flavor, texture, fruit color, and use. Take advantage of this selection and grow your own, or buy some local Iowa-grown apples.
Below is a list of the characteristics and uses of some apple varieties that may grow well in your yard or can be found in Iowa orchards and markets.
While flavor, color, and use are important considerations for selecting an apple variety for your yard, so too is its disease resistance. By selecting disease-resistant apples, you can greatly reduce the amount of management and spraying that would be required to have a high-quality crop. Find a list of good disease-resistant apples for Iowa in this article: What are some disease resistant apple cultivars to grow in Iowa?
Characteristics of Apple Varieties
| Variety | Maturity | Color | Texture | Flavor | Storage Life | Uses | Bloom Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chieftain | Late Sept. - early Oct. | Bright red | Crisp | Slightly tart | Good | Cooking, fresh | Mid-season |
| Cortland | Mid - late Sept. | Red | Crisp | Slightly tart | Good | Cooking, fresh | Mid-season |
| Crimson Crisp™ | Mid Sept. | Bright red | Crisp | Slightly tart | Moderate | Cooking, fresh | Late, Mid-Season |
| Dayton | Late Aug | Glossy red | Crisp | Sweet | Short | Cooking, fresh | Mid-season |
| Enterprise | Mid Oct | Burgundy red | Crisp | Tart | Good | Cooking, fresh | Late |
| Florina | Mid- late Sept. | Yellow washed with Purple-red | Tender | Sweet | Moderate | Fresh | Mid-season |
| Freedom | Mid Sept. | Red | Tender | Slightly tart | Good | Fresh, sauce | Mid-season |
| Gala | Late Aug. - early Sept. | Crimson red with golden udertones | Crisp | Slightly sweet | Short | Cooking | Mid-season |
| Galarina | Mid- late Sept. | Variable reddish coloring over green-yellow | Crisp | Slightly tart | Good | Fresh | Mid-season |
| Golden Delicious | Late Sept. - early Oct. | Golden yellow | Tender | Sweet | Excellent | Cooking, fresh | Late, Mid-Season |
| Goldrush | Late Oct | Yellow | Crisp | Tart | Excellent | Cooking, fresh | Late |
| Haralson | Mid - late Sept. | Red | Crisp | Tart | Excellent | Cooking, fresh | Mid-season |
| Honeycrisp | Mid Sept. | Yellow with red blushes | Crisp | Sweet | Good | Cooking, fresh | Mid-season |
| Honeygold | Mid - late Sept. | Golden yellow | Crisp | Slightly sweet | Good | Cooking, fresh | Mid-season |
| Jonadel | Mid - late Sept. | Yellow base washed with red | Tender | Slightly sweet | Good | Cooking, fresh | Early |
| Jonafree | Mid - late Sept. | Red | Tender | Slightly tart | Good | Cooking, fresh | Mid-season |
| Jonagold | Late Sept -early Oct. | Yellow with red blushes | Tender | Slightly tart | Good | Cooking, fresh | Mid-season |
| Jonathan | Mid - late Sept. | Yellow mostly covered by crimson red | Tender | Slightly tart | Moderate | Cooking, fresh | Mid-season |
| Liberty | Late Sept. - early Oct. | Bright red | Crisp | Slightly tart | Good | Fresh | Early |
| Macfree | Early Sept. | Green Yellow washed with medium red | Crisp | Slightly tart | Good | Fresh | Early |
| McIntosh | Early to mid-Sept. | Dark red | Tender | Slightly tart | Moderate | Cooking, fresh | Early |
| Mutsu | Mid - late Oct. | Green Yellow with light coppery blush | Crisp | Slightly tart | Excellent | Cooking, fresh | Mid-season |
| Novamac | Early Sept. | Red | Crisp | Sweet | Good | Cooking, fresh | Early |
| NovaSpy | Mid - late Sept. | Red | Crisp | Sweet | Good | Cooking, fresh | Mid-season |
| Paulared | Mid - late Aug. | Red | Crisp | Slightly tart | Short | Fresh | Early |
| Pixie Crunch™ | Mid Sept. | Greenish yellow mostly covered by purplish red | Crisp | Slightly tart | Good | Cooking, fresh | Mid-season |
| Pristine™ | Early Aug. | Lemon Yellow | Crisp | Slightly tart | Good | Cooking, fresh | Mid-season |
| Red Delicious | Late Sept. - early Oct. | Red | Crisp | Sweet | Excellent | Cooking, fresh | Mid-season |
| Redfree | Early Aug. | Yellow mostly covered by red | Crisp | Slightly tart | Moderate | Cooking, fresh | Mid-season |
| Rome Beauty | Late Sept. | Deep red | Tender | Slightly tart | Excellent | Cooking | Late |
| RubyRush | Late Sept. | Red | Crisp | Slightly tart | Excellent | Cooking, fresh | Late, Mid-Season |
| Scarlett O-Hara™ | Late Sept. | Yellow with red blushes | Crisp | Slightly tart | Excellent | Fresh | Mid-season |
| Sir Prize | Mid - late Sept. | Yellow | Crisp | Sweet | Good | Fresh | Mid-season |
| Spartan | Mid - late Sept. | Bright Red with patches of green/yellow | Tender | Slightly tart | Good | Cooking, fresh | Mid-season |
| Sundance™ | Early Oct. | Greenish Yellow | Crsip | Slightly tart | Excellent | Fresh | Mid-season |
| Wealthy | Late Aug. - early Sept. | Reddish pink | Tender | Slightly tart | Short | Cooking, fresh | Early |
| William’s Pride | Early Aug. | Purple-red | Crisp | Slightly tart | Moderate | Cooking, fresh | Early |
| Zestar! | Early Aug. | Red and greenish-yellow | Crisp | Sweet | Good | Cooking, fresh | Early |