Fruit

CRIPP'S PINK (PINK LADY) came from the Western Australian apple-breeding program as a 1973 cross between Golden Delicious and Lady Williams. Large in size and oblong in shape with a deep-set eye, the green skin turns yellow on maturity, and is overlaid with pink or light-red. The white flesh is fine-grained, firm and subacid, making it a tasty dessert apple. The skin is thin, making it prone to bruising when ripe, but because it produces low amounts of ethylene gas, it has a long shelf life. The tree is a strong and upright grower with fairly good branch angles. Attention to thining by pruning may be necessary to allow sufficient light to penetrate the tree. According to research by the Western Australian Department of Agriculture, Pink Lady will store for six to eight months in air, and longer in controlled atmosphere storage. It has a chilling requirement similar to Granny Smith and ripens in late September.