M. x domestica ‘Cripps Pink’
For a tart treat that’s visually a-peel-ing, it’s hard to beat Pink Lady® apples. They’re as pretty as a picture with pink skin over a greenish-yellow base.
You can find these apples at pretty much any grocery store – and most nurseries carry the trees.
The fruits are wildly popular, not only for the beautiful color perfect for table displays, but also for their perfect balance of sugar and acid. Pink Lady apples have a satisfying crunch that is incredibly refreshing without any hint of grainy texture.
We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.
The first time I tasted one of these fruits, I had chosen it purely for the appearance. The apple was so pretty sitting there with its pink skin amongst the basic reds and greens.
If you look closely, you’ll see a faint reddish-green hue underneath the pink, and a sprinkling of pore-like lenticels. But then I tasted it.
Take one bite, and you’ll see what really makes this fruit special. The initial juicy, tart crunch gives way to a honey-sweet finish. Great, now my mouth is watering.
I can’t wait to make a caramel apple after I finish sharing how to care for these beauties, so let’s get started. Here’s what we’re going to discuss:
Cultivation and History
You’ll see fruits sold under the name Pink Lady, but a Pink Lady apple could actually be one of several cultivars.
The name is a trademark held by Pink Lady America and the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia (DAFWA) and it is used to describe one of several hybrids that fit the characteristics of what a Pink Lady apple should be.
The apples originally came from the cultivar ‘Cripps Pink’ and were sold under the Pink Lady marketing name. But over the past several decades, a few naturally occurring sports have been put into cultivation that can be sold as Pink Lady.
As of the time of writing, ‘Barnsby,’ ‘Lady in Red,’ ‘Maslin,’ ‘Rosy Glow,’ and ‘Ruby Pink’ can all be sold under the trademarked name.
There are several other cultivars in production that might eventually reach the required standard to be able to use the name.
Speaking of standards, to be called Pink Lady, the fruits must have a certain amount of blush in the skin, the appropriate amount of sugar in the flesh, and the required firmness.
If they don’t meet the proprietary standards, they’re sold under the name ‘Cripps Pink.’
‘Cripps Pink’ is a cross between a popular Australian cultivar called ‘Lady Williams’ and the perennial favorite ‘Golden Delicious,’ and was bred by horticulturist John Cripps at the Western Australia Department of Agriculture, Stoneville Research Station in Perth in 1974. It was released to market in 1989.
It’s a spur-type, which means the tree bears fruit on knobby little shoots called spurs. Apple trees bear at the tip of longer shoots or on spurs.
The difference only matters because it influences how you prune the tree, but it doesn’t have an impact on fruit production.
The trees grow to a mature height of about 18 feet, with a 12-foot spread.
Pink Lady Apple Propagation
While the brand name is trademarked, the cultivar is not patented so you can still propagate these trees via cuttings and grafting.
You just won’t be able to sell any resulting plants or fruits under the name Pink Lady. The easiest way to get started is to buy a sapling from a nursery and transplant it into your garden.
In our guide to apple propagation, we discuss grafting and rooting stem cuttings in more detail, so be sure to give it a read if that is the route you want to go.
Here’s a brief overview of both methods:
From Cuttings
It’s possible to grow Pink Lady from cuttings, but it’s not the most reliable method of propagation.
They generally don’t root well, so it’s advisable to start several cuttings in the hope that one or two survive.
In a nutshell, you’ll cut off a small branch and plant it in the ground. With the right care, it will hopefully develop roots and eventually develop into a productive tree.
From Grafted Rootstock
Rather than relying on cuttings, grafting is an effective and more reliable method of breeding a genetic replica of a tree.
Most modern cultivars are grown as grafted trees on rootstock because this allows breeders to combine positive characteristics of different trees and to control the mature size.
To graft a tree, you need a scion, or the part that will comprise the trunk and canopy, and a rootstock, which makes up the roots and the base of the trunk.
Both can be purchased or you can grow your own rootstock and take a scion from an existing Pink Lady tree.
Starting your own rootstock is an advanced process that is beyond the scope of this article, so I advise purchasing one instead.
To take a scion, you’ll need to snip off a healthy section of branch and make a grafting cut at the end.
You’ll make a corresponding cut on the rootstock so that you can join the two together. Then, you’ll grow the grafted tree as you would a sapling.
Transplanting
When you’re ready to plant a purchased sapling, the first step is to prepare the growing area. If you have perfectly loamy, loose, well-draining soil, you don’t have to do anything. Lucky you!
But if, like most of us, you don’t have perfect soil, you’ll need to work in some well-rotted compost a few feet deep and wide. This will give the young tree a boost as it works to develop its root structure.
Space your tree about six feet from any other plants or structures.
Dig a hole twice as wide as the container the tree is currently growing in, and just a few inches deeper.
Remove the tree from its growing container and gently loosen up the roots to ensure they grow down and out and not in a circle.
Set the root ball in place, making sure it’s sitting at the same depth as it was in the original container.
Backfill with the removed soil and make sure the graft joint is an inch above the soil line. Water well and add more soil if it settles.
For the first year after planting, be sure to keep the plant well-watered.
How to Grow Pink Lady Apples
‘Cripps Pink’ isn’t an easy tree to grow unless you have the right climate, and that means you need to be in Zones 4 to 9 and have at least 200 days where the temperature remains above 45°F to allow the apples to ripen.
Additionally you need heat above 80°F for several months to really bring out the flavor.
Additionally, they won’t develop their distinctive pink skin unless they experience a large swing in temperatures from day to night during the fall. About 20°F or more of difference between the day’s high and the night’s low is ideal.
Newer cultivars that are sold as Pink Lady might be less demanding about temperatures. On top of that, ‘Maslin’ ripens two weeks earlier than ‘Cripps Pink.’ ‘Barnsby’ is ready almost three weeks earlier.
You must plant in full sun, and a sloping south-facing hill would be ideal because it helps prevent water from pooling around the roots.
Assuming you can provide the right conditions, the tree is a vigorous grower with large leaves. Why does that matter?
Because trees with smaller or fewer leaves require thinning to balance the amount of foliage with the number of developing fruits.
If a tree produces more fruits than the foliage can maintain, the fruits will be smaller than they could be otherwise.
You don’t need to thin ‘Cripps Pink’ because it has large enough leaves to support the fruits. You can, however, trim some of the leaves of the higher branches to expose the fruits to the sun, which will intensify the color.
In most areas, once the tree is established, you won’t need to add any water except in times of drought.
Pink Lady types are generally drought-tolerant and will send out deep roots to find their own moisture.
You can learn more about watering apple trees in our guide.
It isn’t necessary to feed every year. You can usually feed every other year unless a soil test indicates that your soil is extremely depleted.
When you feed, it should be done in the spring before the flower buds open or in the fall after the apples have been harvested.
For more general information about growing apples, check out our guide.
Pollination
Pollination is a whole topic on its own. In fact, we have a guide to explain the ins and outs of apple pollination.
In a nutshell, most trees need a second specimen within 100 feet or so to ensure cross-pollination.
Not just any cultivar will do, though. It needs to be one that blooms at the same time and isn’t sterile.
‘Fuji,’ ‘Gala,’ ‘Granny Smith,’ and ‘Red Delicious’ all make excellent companions for ‘Cripps Pink.’
If you grow one of the other cultivars sold under this name, be sure to research which pollinators work best.
Growing Tips
- Plant in full sun.
- Provide a pollinator like ‘Fuji’ within 100 feet.
- Water when the soil dries out.
Pruning and Maintenance
As a spur-type apple, this one requires regular and careful pruning.
Most common cultivars grown in home gardens are spur types, so if you’re familiar with fruit tree pruning, you’re ahead of the game.
If you’ve never pruned these trees before, here’s a quick rundown.
You need to prune during the dormant season to remove any diseased, deformed, crowded, crossing, or pest-infested branches.
Then, you’ll want to thin out some of the older wood to encourage the growth of young, more productive wood.
For more information, visit our complete guide to apple pruning. (coming soon!)
Prune off any water sprouts or suckers at the base of the tree whenever you see them.
Depending on where you live, your trees might require a little extra care in the winter. Learn about caring for apples during the winter in our guide.
Where to Buy Pink Lady Apple Trees
Pink Lady is one of the most popular apples out there, so you won’t have much trouble finding one.
Just be sure to note the actual cultivar because, remember, several of them are sold under the “Pink Lady” moniker. The original is the ‘Cripps Pink’ cultivar.
‘Cripps Pink’
Nature Hills Nursery carries this cultivar in #5 containers.
Fast Growing Trees also has potted trees in three- to four-, four- to five-, and five- to six-foot heights.
Managing Pests and Disease
The secret is out: apples taste great. And we’re not the only ones who think so: critters, pests, and pathogens of all kinds agree.
No matter what kind of tree you’re growing, battling other hungry lifeforms is going to be a big part of your job as a gardener.
Let’s talk about herbivores, first.
Herbivores
Deer, elk, and moose love apples, and they aren’t just drawn to the fruits. They’ll devour the leaves and branches and will even eat the trunk during the winter.
Deer fencing and deterrents are going to be your new best friends. Learn more about deterring deer in our guide.
Birds will also eat the fruits, but in my experience, they wait until the pommes are a bit overripe before they start pecking at them. So if you harvest your apples when they are just ripe, you shouldn’t lose too many to the birds.
Rabbits will also nibble on young trees, so use some sort of barrier to protect young trees if you have hopping friends in the garden.
Insects
No cultivar is immune to pests, though some are tough enough to easily survive an infestation, and ‘Cripps Pink’ is one of those.
Though it can still be attacked by aphids, blister mites, borers, fruitworms, leafhoppers, scale, spider mites, tent caterpillars, and thrips, the tree isn’t likely to be seriously injured.
That said, all apples are subject to infestation by maggots and codling moth larvae, which eat holes in the fruits and make them prone to rotting. These can be a challenge to control and require regular spraying or physical protection of your fruits.
Read our guide to apple pests for identification and control methods.
Disease
This particular cultivar isn’t particularly disease-prone, save for a few common issues that most apples are subject to. We’ll go over these in a bit.
Sooty blotch and flyspeck might be an occasional problem. Also, watch for armillaria root rot, bot rot, cork spot, crown gall, cedar apple rust, leaf spot, and soggy breakdown disorder.
The three most common issues with Pink Lady trees are fire blight, powdery mildew, and scab. Let’s take a closer look at each of these:
Fire Blight
This cultivar is extremely susceptible to fire blight. Growers are working hard to create resistant Pink Lady types, but until one is produced, you will absolutely need to spray preventatively.
With some trees, you can get away with waiting until you see any signs of this bacterial disease, but with this one, just assume that the pathogen is present if you live in an area where it’s common.
From the moment the buds develop to the point where they drop from the tree, spray with copper fungicide every three to five days.
Bonide Copper Fungicide
Grab a hose end ready-to-spray bottle in 16 or 32 ounces or a 16-ounce concentrate bottle to mix and use in your own sprayer at Arbico Organics.
If you live in an area where fire blight isn’t as common, just keep an eye out for symptoms. To learn more about this disease and how to deal with it, read our guide to apple fire blight.
Powdery Mildew
If the leaves of your tree look like they’ve been dusted in a coating of flour, you are likely dealing with powdery mildew.
This fungal disease, caused by Podosphaera leucotricha, is usually simple to eradicate and won’t cause much lasting damage, provided you catch it early.
Learn more about how to deal with powdery mildew on apples in our guide.
Scab
Unfortunately, these trees are exceptionally susceptible to apple scab.
Scab is a fungal disease caused by the pathogen Venturia inaequalis that is devastating to the commercial apple industry.
It causes unsightly scabs all over the fruits and leaves, as well as deformed growth, shoot death, defoliation, and fruit drop.
Learn more about apple scab and how to control it in our guide.
Harvesting
Pink Lady apples ripen late in the season, they usually aren’t ready to harvest until Halloween or later.
Once the fruits start to ripen, you can hand-pick the ripest ones and leave the rest on the tree. The fruits typically ripen over three or four weeks.
You’ll know they are ripe by the color. When they are ready, gently twist the fruits off the branch, taking care not to damage the spur.
If you’d like a comprehensive look at how to harvest apples, check out our guide.
Preserving
One of the great things about this cultivar is that the fruits store for a long, long time.
They can last for months in the right conditions and commercial sellers can keep them for up to six months in cold storage.
At home, they’ll last two or three months if stored in a cool, dark area or the crisper drawer of the refrigerator.
We have plenty of tips and information in our guide to storing apples.
Quick Reference Growing Guide
| Plant Type: | Deciduous fruit tree | Flower/Foliage Color: | White, pink/green |
| Native to: | Central Asia | Maintenance: | Moderate |
| Hardiness (USDA Zones): | 4-9 | Tolerance: | Drought |
| Bloom Time/Season: | Spring (flowers), fall (fruit) | Soil Type: | Loose, loamy |
| Exposure: | Full sun | Soil pH: | 5.8-6.5 |
| Time to Maturity: | 5 years | Soil Drainage: | Well-draining |
| Spacing: | 6 feet | Companion Planting: | Bleeding hearts, crocus, daffodils, flowering quince, forsythia, Japanese camellias, pansies, tulips, wood poppies |
| Planting Depth: | Graft joint one inch above soil surface, same depth as growing container | Avoid Planting With: | Aggressive vines like English ivy and wisteria |
| Height: | 18 feet | Family: | Rosaceae |
| Spread: | 14 feet | Genus: | Malus |
| Water Needs: | Low | Species: | x domestica |
| Common Pests and Disease: | Aphids, apple maggots, blister mites, borers, codling moths, fruitworms, leafhoppers, scale, spider mites, tent caterpillars, and thrips; Armillaria, black rot and frogeye leaf spot, bot rot, crown gall, gummosis, powdery mildew, sooty blotch and flyspeck, southern blight | Cultivar: | Pink Lady® |
Hey, Lady!
Whatever you call them, ‘Cripps Pink’ or Pink Lady, growing these apples is well worth the effort.
They’re as beautiful as they are delicious. And now, hopefully, you feel confident enough to add one or more to your orchard.
Are you growing Pink Lady already? If so, let me know how you best like to use up your apples! Share your recipes and ideas in the comments section below.
And for more information about growing apple trees, add these guides to your reading list next:
