Synonyms: Crimson Topaz

Identification: Medium tending to large. Round.The base colour is yellow at maturity, typically washed to between 40 and 70% with bright red, with a dense pattern of darker stripes and scattered small lenticels. The eye is large and closed, sometimes partly open, set in a medium deep and medium narrow basin, surrounded by a lightly knobbed crown. The stem is short to medium length and set in a shallow, russeted cavity. The skin is thick and tends to feel greasy when ripe and in storage. Lightly ribbed. A greasy feel develops on the skin at maturity and in storage.

Characteristics: The flesh is yellowish, fine-grained, crisp and firm, but becoming softer in storage. Very juicy, sweet, sharp, spicy and aromatic. Brix 12.4 degrees. High Vitamin C content.

Uses: Dessert.

Origins: Bred at the Institute for Experimental Botany, Strizovice (Czech Republic) by crossing Rubin and Vanda . Introduced in 2001.

Cultivation: Moderately vigorous and upright spreading tree. Spur bearer. Moderately heavy annual crops. Precocious. Need to be rigorously thinned at fruit set to achieve the given fruit size. Tolerates Hardiness Zones 5 to 8.

Ploidism: Diploid. Self sterile.

Cold storage: Keeps up to four months with some spoilage, two months longer in controlled atmosphere storage. Full flavours develop two to three weeks after harvest.

Vulnerabilities: Resistant to scab and slightly susceptible to mildew and blight.

Harvest: Ready for harvest by the beginning of the fifth period. Virtually no fruit drop.

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Associated apples:

Apples with a similar sounding name: