'Gala' | |
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Species | Malus domestica |
Hybrid parentage | 'Kidd's Orange Red' × 'Golden Delicious' |
Cultivar | Gala |
Origin | ![]() |
Gala is an McIntosh apple cultivar with a sweet, mild flavor, a crisp but not hard texture, and a striped or mottled orange or reddish appearance. Originating from New Zealand in the 1930s, similar to most named apples, it is clonally propagated. In 2018, it surpassed Red Delicious as the apple cultivar with the highest production in the United States, according to the US Apple Association. It was the first time in over 50 years that any cultivar was produced more than Red Delicious. [2]
Gala apples are non-uniform in color, usually vertically striped or mottled, with overall orange color. [1] They are sweet, fine textured, and aromatic, [1] and in addition to being eaten raw and cooked are especially suitable for creating sauces. [3]
55–60 mm | 60–65 mm | 65–70 mm | 70–75 mm | 75–80 mm | 80–85 mm |
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1% | 6% | 12% | 40% | 38% | 3% |
The first Gala apple tree was one of many seedlings resulting from a cross between a Golden Delicious and a Kidd's Orange Red planted in Greytown, Wairarapa, New Zealand in the 1930s by orchardist J.H. Kidd. Selected in 1939, introduced in 1960. [5] Donald W. McKenzie, an employee of Stark Bros Nursery, obtained a US plant patent for the cultivar on October 15, 1974. [6] It is a relatively new introduction to the UK, first planted in commercial volumes during the 1980s. The variety now represents about 20% of the total volume of the commercial production of eating apples grown in the UK, often replacing Cox's Orange Pippin.
Many sports of Gala have been selected, mostly for increased red color, including the popular Royal Gala. The original cultivar produced fruit with orange stripes and a partial orange blush over a yellow background. Since then, several un-patented sports have been recognized. Additionally, more than twenty sports have received US plant patents:
Date | "Inventor" | Marketed as | Mutated from | Assignee | Habit | Pattern | Earlier | Color | Plant patent number |
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Feb 20, 2013 | W. Fulford, New Zealand | Regal Gala (Fulford Gala, Gala Must) | Gala | reddish orange blush over a yellow ground | USPP 3309 | ||||
Oct 15, 1974 | McKenzie | Gala | – | Stark | standard | partial blush | – | yellow | US plant patent 3637 |
Oct 4, 1977 | H.W. Ten Hove, New Zealand | Royal Gala, Tenroy | Gala3637 | Stark | standard | stripe | – | red | US plant patent 4121 |
May 10, 1988 | John Creech, US | Scarlet Gala [7] | Kidd's D-83637 | C & 0 | standard | blush | – | scarlet | US plant patent 6172 |
Aug 1, 1989 | K.W. Kiddle, New Zealand | Galaxy | Tenroy4121 | Stark | standard | stripe | earlier | intense red | US plant patent 6955 |
Dec 18, 1990 | Cooper | Treco Spur Red Gala No. 42, Regal | Auvil | Oregon Rootstock | spur | stripe | – | red | US plant patent 7396 |
Jul 16, 1991 | Fulford | Fulford | Kidd3637 | standard | blush | – | bright red | US plant patent 7589 | |
Mar 1, 1994 | Olsen | Obrogala, UltraRed | Tenroy4121 | Stark | standard | stripe | 2–4 days | redder | US plant patent 8621 |
Apr 5, 1994 | Waliser, US | Waliser Gala | Tenroy4121 | Waliser | standard | stripe | 10 days | bright red | US plant patent 8673 |
May 10, 1994 | Hill | Applewaites | Kidd's3637 | standard | blush | 2–3 days | more complete red | US plant patent 8720 | |
Nov 5, 1996 | Olsen | Olsentwo Gala, Pacific Gala | Royal Gala4121 | standard | stripe | 5–10 days | distinguishably different | US plant patent 9681 | |
Sep 2, 1997 | Paul Brookfield, New Zealand | Baigent | Royal Gala4121 | Brookfield | standard | stripe | extremely early | bright red | US plant patent 10016 |
Nov 11, 1997 | Gale | Gale Gala | Royal Gala4121 | Van Well, US | standard | stripe | 3 weeks | more complete | US plant patent 10114 |
Jun 23, 1998 | Tina Fackler, US | Big Red Gala | Kidd's3637 | Protree | standard | stripe | – | same | US plant patent 10458 |
Mar 30, 1999 | Simmons | Simmons | Imperial | Peace Valley | standard | stripe | 21 days | brighter red | US plant patent 10840 |
Jan 18, 2000 | Stiekema | Stiekema 1 | Obragala8621 | standard | blush | – | red | US plant patent 11182 | |
Apr 11, 2000 | McSpadden, Jr | Caitlin | Tenroy4121 | Stark | standard | stripe | "earlier" | – | US plant patent 11348 |
Aug 13, 2002 | Bob Black, US | Harry Black Gala (Autumn Gala) | Kidd's3637 | International Plant Management | standard | stripe | 5 wk. later | – | US plant patent 12842 |
Apr 29, 2003 | Banning | Banning Gala | Imperial | standard | stripe | – | intense red blush, darker stripe | US plant patent 13753 | |
Jan 6, 2004 | Smith | Smith gala | Tenroy4121 | standard | stripe | – | yellow | US plant patent 14448 | |
May 4, 2004 | Weaver | Weaver | Fulford7589 | Adams County Nursery | more compact | blush | – | bright red | US plant patent 14752 |
Jan 4, 2005 | Ligonniere | Dalitoga | Imperial | SNC Elaris | standard | stripe | 3 wk. | yellow | US plant patent 15465 |
Aug 15, 2006 | Burkitt | Burkitt Gala | Tenroy4121 | BMA Trust | standard | stripe | 10 d. | completely red | US plant patent 17013 |
Feb 26, 2008 | McDonald | El Niño | Royal4121 | standard | intense dark red stripe | bright red | US plant patent 18512 | ||
Jul 8, 2008 | McLaughlin | McLaughlin Gala, Blondee | Kidd's3637 | standard | no striping or blush | 4—6 d. | yellow | US plant patent 19007 | |
Dec 30, 2008 | G. E. Fankhauser, Australia | Alvnia | Gala | Fankhauser | standard | stripes | "earlier" | red, > 95A% coverage | US plant patent 19604 |
Apr 14, 2009 | A. Richard, France | Galaval | Galaxy Gala6955 | Pepinieres du Valois | standard | blush | – | intense dark purple brown | US plant patent 19909 |
Sept 28, 2010 | M. Julien, France | Jugala | Mitchgla Gala | 5 d. | USPP 21315 | ||||
Aug 14, 2012 | S. Buck, New Zealand | Premier Star | Imperial Gala | USPP 22949 | |||||
Jul 22, 2014 | R. Wyle, US | Foxtrot | Tenroy Gala | earlier ripening | more intensely red | USPP 24664 | |||
Apr 7, 2015 | S. Perathoner, Italy | Gala Parathoner | Mitchgla Gala | stripes | light and dark stripes 95–100% | USPP 25407 | |||
Jan 24, 2017 | A. Gruber-Genetti, Italy | Gala Schnico Red | Gala Schnitzer Scinga | 100% dark red | USPP 27577 | ||||
May 9, 2017 | A. Defrancesschi, Italy | Gala 2013 | Gala | 100% purple-red | USPP 27978 | ||||
Jan 23, 2018 | L. Fabre, France | Galafab(Gala Star) | Gala | Red 90–100% | USPP 28885 | ||||
Dec 25, 2018 | Brisset, France | Gala Surf | Gala | Very dark purple red | USPP 30009 | ||||
May 21, 2019 | J. Braun, Italy | GalaMic | Gala | Deep purple | USPP 30512 |
Name | mutated from | year and country |
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Auvil | ||
Imperial Gala | ||
Ultima Gala (Banning) | Imperial Gala | 1997 US |
Name | Parentage | Cross made | Introduced | Origin |
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Aurora Golden Gala | Splendour x Gala | 1981 | Canada | |
Bravo | Cripps Red x Royal Gala | 1992 | Australia | |
Delfloga | (Royal Gala × Florina) [8] | ? | ? | |
Envy(Scilate) | (Royal Gala × Braeburn) | 1985 | New Zealand | |
Gaia | Gala x A3-7 | Italy | ||
Galarina | Gala x Florina Querina | 1978 | France | |
Jazz (Scifresh) | Braeburn x Royal Gala | 1985 | ? | New Zealand |
Nicoter (Kanzi) | (Gala × Braeburn) [9] | Belgium | ||
Modi | Gala x Liberty | 1992 | Italy | |
Monalisa | Gala x Malus 4 | Brazil | ||
Newson | Gala x Hawkes Bay Red Delicious | 1983 | Canada | |
Nicola | Splendour x Gala | 1981 | Canada | |
Sciros (Pacific Rose) | (Splendor × Gala) [10] | |||
Rubens(Civni) | Elstar x Gala | Italy | ||
Sweetie ('PremA280') | ||||
Salish | Splendour x Gala | 1981 | 1997 | Canada |
Gala apples are grown from May through September in the northern hemisphere, but, like most apples, are available almost all year through the use of cold storage and controlled atmosphere storage. [11] Australian Gala are available from late January. California fruit is available until October. While the season usually lasts only 9 or 10 months, they are able to last all year round. However, due to some apples continuing to be grown in some orchards, and the fact that they can be refrigerated for some months leads to the availability of the Gala apple year-round in some Australian markets. These usually taste different (slightly less sweet) from those in season. The UK season begins in late summer (August). Storage makes the UK fruit available nearly year-round as with fruit from other origins.
Royal Gala is a Gala sport, patented by Stark in 1977, which produces redder fruits than the original cultivar. It is a pink-red dessert apple and is therefore usually eaten fresh. Royal Galas are usually harvested in early to late February in the southern hemisphere. In New Zealand, the pinker original Gala has almost disappeared as a commercial apple in favor of the darker-skinned Royal Gala.
Cox's Orange Pippin, in Britain often referred to simply as Cox, is an apple cultivar first grown in 1825, at Colnbrook in Buckinghamshire, England, by the retired brewer and horticulturist Richard Cox. Though the parentage of the cultivar is unknown, Ribston Pippin seems a likely candidate. DNA analysis of major apple pedigrees has suggested Margil as the parent of Cox, with Ribston Pippin being another Margil seedling. The variety was introduced for sale by the 1850s by Charles Turner, and grown commercially from the 1860s, particularly in the Vale of Evesham in Worcestershire, and later in Kent. A paper by Howard et al seems to suggest that the Cox Orange Pippin is a hybrid between the Cultivars: Rosemary Russet and Margil based on the SNP data 7
Red Delicious is a type of apple with a red exterior and sweet taste that was first recognized in Madison County, Iowa, in 1872. Today, the name Red Delicious comprises more than 50 cultivars. It was the most produced cultivar in the United States from 1968 to 2018, when it was surpassed by Gala.
The Fuji apple is an apple cultivar developed by growers at the Tōhoku Research Station of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in Fujisaki, Aomori, Japan, in the late 1930s, and brought to market in 1962. It originated as a cross between two American apple varieties—the Red Delicious and old Virginia Ralls Janet apples. According to the US Apple Association website it is one of the nine most popular apple cultivars in the United States. Its name is derived from the first part of the town where it was developed: Fujisaki.
The Braeburn is a cultivar of apple that is firm to the touch with a red/orange vertical streaky appearance on a yellow/green background. Its color intensity varies with different growing conditions.
Honeycrisp is an apple cultivar developed at the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station's Horticultural Research Center at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Designated in 1974 with the MN 1711 test designation, patented in 1988, and released in 1991, the Honeycrisp, once slated to be discarded, has rapidly become a prized commercial commodity, as its sweetness, firmness, and tartness make it an ideal apple for eating raw. "...The apple wasn't bred to grow, store or ship well. It was bred for taste: crisp, with balanced sweetness and acidity." It has larger cells than most apple cultivars, a trait which is correlated with juiciness, as larger cells are more prone to rupturing instead of cleaving along the cell walls; this rupturing effect is likely what makes the apple taste juicier. The Honeycrisp also retains its pigment well and has a relatively long shelf life when stored in cool, dry conditions. Pepin Heights Orchards delivered the first Honeycrisp apples to grocery stores in 1997. The name Honeycrisp was trademarked by the University of Minnesota, but university officials were unsure of its protection status in 2007. It is now the official state fruit of Minnesota. A large-sized honeycrisp will contain about 113 calories.
Jazz is a trademarked brand of the Scifresh cultivar of domesticated apple. Scifresh is a cross between Royal Gala and Braeburn. It was developed in New Zealand as part of a collaboration between apple marketer ENZA, orchardists, and the Plant & Food Research institute. The original cross was made in 1985 on trees at Goddard Lane, Havelock North, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. It launched commercially in April 2004. It is hard and crisp but juicy. The colour is flushes of red and maroon over shades of green, yellow and orange. Jazz is a close relative of the Kanzi apple, which is easier to bite and has a more delicate sweet-tart taste.
'Ambrosia' is a cultivar of apple originating in British Columbia, Canada in the early 1990s. The original tree was first cultivated by the Mennell family of Similkameen Valley, British Columbia, who discovered it growing in their orchard.
Table apples are a group of apple cultivars grown for eating raw as opposed to cooking or cidermaking. Table apples are usually sweet and the most prized exhibit particular aroma variations that differentiate them from other apples. D = Dual purpose
An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree. Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus Malus. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, Malus sieversii, is still found. Apples have been grown for thousands of years in Eurasia and were introduced to North America by European colonists. Apples have religious and mythological significance in many cultures, including Norse, Greek, and European Christian tradition.
Civni is an apple cultivar marketed as the Rubens apple. The Civni apple is a bicolored apple. It was first developed in 1985 as a cross of 'Gala' and 'Elstar' apples by the Consorzio Italiano Vivaisti (CIV), an Italian apple growers' consortium from Ferrara. They were granted a patent on the 'Civni' variety in 2003.
The 'Laxton's Superb' is an apple cultivar that was developed in England in 1897. It is a cross breed between Cellini and 'Cox's Orange Pippin' and is not a cross between Wyken Pippin and Cox Orange Pippin. It is a British apple with a green color and a dull red flush. It is a firm-textured dessert apple. The fruit is well known for its sweet and aromatic taste which is likened to the parent species it is derived from, the 'Cox's Orange Pippin'.
Malus domestica Newton Wonder is a cultivar of apple which is usually eaten cooked due to its sourness. The variety has a similar but slightly sweeter taste than the Bramley apple and is usually used in pies or as a preserve.
The 'Sunset' is an apple cultivar derived from the Cox's Orange Pippin cultivar. Both are found in Great Britain. The fruit has red stripes and an orange flush over a gold background. Usually, part of the apple is red while part of it is yellow. It is similar to 'Cox's Orange Pippin' in that it displays some russetting. The 'Pixie' apple is a distant descendant.
Champion, shampion, or sampion is a hybrid cultivar of domesticated apple developed c. 1960 in Czechoslovakia by crossing a Golden Delicious and a Cox's Orange Pippin. The fruit has a non-uniform skin color.
Anna apple is a dual purpose cultivar of domesticated apple that is very early ripening and does well in warm climates.
Winston is an English cultivar of domesticated apple which was first named Winter King because of its availability in the winter, but was renamed as Winston in 1944 or in 1945, after Winston Churchill.
Suntan is an English cultivar of domesticated apple that have earned the Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society in 1999.
Enterprise is a modern bred, late-ripening and attractive, red cultivar of domesticated apple with excellent fruit quality combined with disease resistance to scab, cedar apple rust, fire blight and some resistance to powdery mildew. The fruit is large and attractive and retains excellent fresh quality for up to six months at 1°C. Its moderate acidity at time of harvest mellows in storage, and it is best after one month of storage.
Sciros is a cultivar of domesticated apple. This apple is mostly sweet with very little acidity, often compared to the 'Fuji' apple for taste, and keeps very well in storage. According to Orange Pippin it is an attractive new late-season high-quality dessert apple, a hybrid between 'Gala' and 'Splendour' apples, mostly resembling the latter.
Splendour, Splendor or Starksplendor is a modern cultivar of domesticated apple which was developed in New Zealand, and is regarded there as a popular commercial dessert apple. It has been said to be a cross between 'Red Dougherty' and 'Golden Delicious', but genetic analysis has not definitely characterized either of the parent cultivars, and records do not indicate known or suspected parents.