Pink Lady Apple

Malus domestica 'Cripps Pink'

fruit

Pink Lady (cultivar name Cripps Pink) is one of the last apples picked each year, delivering a bright sweet-tart flavor with citrus and berry notes over crisp, slow-browning flesh. The signature pink-blushed skin develops only with long sun exposure and warm autumn days, which is why this Australian-bred cultivar needs the longest season of any major variety.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Chives — Repels aphids and may help discourage apple scab around the drip line
• Daffodils — Ring of spring bulbs deters voles from gnawing the trunk and roots
• Comfrey — Chop-and-drop leaves return potassium and nitrogen to the surface roots
• Yarrow — Attracts beneficial insects that hunt codling moth larvae and aphids

❌ Keep away from

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Apple scab →

  Plant on a windswept slope for fast leaf-drying, rake leaves under the tree, and choose resistant rootstocks where available

• Codling moth →

  Bag fruit at thumb size, hang pheromone traps to time control, and remove drops every week through the season

• Fire blight →

  Prune 12 in below cankers during dry weather and disinfect tools; never fertilize heavily when blight is active

• Voles and rabbits →

  Wrap the lower trunk with a plastic guard pushed 2 in into the soil and clear mulch back from the bark

🌾 Harvest & storage

Pink Lady ripens between October 15 and November 10 in most apple regions. Wait for the green background to turn cream and the blush to deepen to true pink. After picking, the flavor actually improves for the first four weeks in cold storage as starches convert to sugars; aim to eat the first apples after a month and the rest through the winter.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

Roughly 52 calories per 100 g with 2.4 g of fiber, 5 mg of vitamin C, and 107 mg of potassium. The high acidity (malic acid) keeps blood sugar response moderate compared to sweeter dessert apples.

⚠️ Toxicity & safety

Eat the flesh, not the seeds. Apple and pear seeds contain amygdalin, a cyanide-releasing compound. Swallowing a seed or two is harmless, but do not deliberately eat or crush the seeds or cores in quantity.