Jonagold apple
Malus domestica
A very popular commercial variety, with a good flavour.
Jonagold is high quality American apple, developed in the 1940s. As its name suggests, this is a cross between a Jonathan and a Golden Delicious. It is quite widely grown, and unusually for a Golden Delicious cross, is not limited to the warm apple regions, although it is not often found in the UK.
Jonagold is a large apple, and makes a substantial snack. If you are struggling to eat your 5 portions of fruit and veg per day, this can help !
The colouring is yellow of Golden Delicious, with large flushes of red. This is a crisp apple to bite into, with gleaming white flesh. The flavour is sweet but with a lot of balancing acidity - a very pleasant apple.
Jonagold's other parent, Jonathan, is an old American variety which was discovered in the 1820s.
In the UK Jonagold sometimes appears in supermarkets in the spring packaged as "value" apples, often from Holland, and at a very low price. We are trying to find out more about these apples, but it seems that they are mainly "second" quality apples which are nearing the end of their storage life and are surplus to other uses.
Jonagold is widely-grown by commercial growers, and there are a number of more highly-coloured sports. Jonagored is probably the most widely known of these. Others include: Decosta, Primo, Rubinstar, Red Jonaprince.
Summary
- Parentage: Golden Delicious x Jonathan
- Origin: United States
- Introduced: 1943
- Orange Pippin Cultivar ID: 103300
Identification
- Bultitude apple group: 6. Red flushed, smooth, sweet
Using
- Good for eating fresh
- Good for cooking
- Good for juice
- Good for hard cider
- Flavour quality: Very good
- Flavour style: Sweet/Sharp
- Ripening period: Late season
- Use / keeping: 1-2 months
Growing
- Cropping: Heavy
- Fertility: Self-sterile
- Triploid: Yes
- Poor pollinator
- Vigour: Large
- Gardening skill: Average
- General disease resistance: Poor
Climate
- Suitable for warm climates
- Suitable for temperate climates
- Tolerates cold winters
- Suitable for NW. Scotland?: No
Other qualities
- RHS Award of Garden Merit 1993
Disease resistance
- Bacterial canker Pseudomonas syringae - Some susceptibility
- Scab - Some susceptibility
Mature tree heights for this variety (approximate)
| Rootstock | Soil quality | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poor | Below average | Average | Above average | Very good | |
| P22 | 2.7 ft 0.8 m |
3.4 ft 1.0 m |
4.1 ft 1.2 m |
4.7 ft 1.5 m |
5.4 ft 1.7 m |
| M27 | 3.6 ft 1.1 m |
4.5 ft 1.4 m |
5.4 ft 1.7 m |
6.3 ft 1.9 m |
7.2 ft 2.2 m |
| M9 | 5.4 ft 1.7 m |
6.8 ft 2.1 m |
8.1 ft 2.5 m |
9.5 ft 2.9 m |
10.8 ft 3.3 m |
| Bud.9 | 5.4 ft 1.7 m |
6.8 ft 2.1 m |
8.1 ft 2.5 m |
9.5 ft 2.9 m |
10.8 ft 3.3 m |
| Geneva 16 | 5.4 ft 1.7 m |
6.8 ft 2.1 m |
8.1 ft 2.5 m |
9.5 ft 2.9 m |
10.8 ft 3.3 m |
| Geneva 11 | 6.3 ft 1.9 m |
7.9 ft 2.4 m |
9.5 ft 2.9 m |
11.0 ft 3.4 m |
12.6 ft 3.9 m |
| M26 | 7.2 ft 2.2 m |
9.0 ft 2.8 m |
10.8 ft 3.3 m |
12.6 ft 3.9 m |
14.4 ft 4.4 m |
| Geneva 30 | 7.2 ft 2.2 m |
9.0 ft 2.8 m |
10.8 ft 3.3 m |
12.6 ft 3.9 m |
14.4 ft 4.4 m |
| MM102 | 7.2 ft 2.2 m |
9.0 ft 2.8 m |
10.8 ft 3.3 m |
12.6 ft 3.9 m |
14.4 ft 4.4 m |
| M7 | 8.1 ft 2.5 m |
10.1 ft 3.1 m |
12.2 ft 3.7 m |
14.2 ft 4.3 m |
16.2 ft 5.0 m |
| M116 | 8.1 ft 2.5 m |
10.1 ft 3.1 m |
12.2 ft 3.7 m |
14.2 ft 4.3 m |
16.2 ft 5.0 m |
| MM106 | 9.0 ft 2.8 m |
11.3 ft 3.5 m |
13.5 ft 4.1 m |
15.8 ft 4.8 m |
18.0 ft 5.5 m |
| MM111 | 10.8 ft 3.3 m |
13.5 ft 4.1 m |
16.2 ft 5.0 m |
18.9 ft 5.8 m |
21.6 ft 6.6 m |
| Bud.118 | 12.6 ft 3.9 m |
15.8 ft 4.8 m |
18.9 ft 5.8 m |
22.1 ft 6.8 m |
25.2 ft 7.7 m |
| M25 | 14.4 ft 4.4 m |
18.0 ft 5.5 m |
21.6 ft 6.6 m |
25.2 ft 7.7 m |
28.8 ft 8.8 m |
Relationships to other varieties
Offspring of this variety:
Parents and other ancestors of this variety:
- Golden Delicious (parent)
