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Topaz apple

Topaz

Topaz is a modern disease-resistant apple variety from the Czech Republic, distantly related to James Grieve. It always does well in taste tests, especially if you like a sharper-tasting apple.

Topaz is a medium or medium-large apple, although the size can vary. The skin colour is yellow, almost completely overlaid with red and crimson flush. The flesh is crisp and cream-coloured.

Like many disease-resistant varieties, Topaz has an interesting parentage. It is a cross between Vanda and Rubin, both developed in the Czech Republic in the latter part of the 20th century. Rubin is in turn a cross between Lord Lambourne and Golden Delicious, whilst one of the parents of Vanda is also Lord Lambourne. Not surprisingly therefore Topaz is reminiscent of Lord Lambourne, and its grandfather James Grieve, although it is much more crunchy and crisp than James Grieve.

Also like Lord Lambourne and James Grieve, Topaz is a good apple for the garden, being fairly easy and reliable to grow.  The main horticultural problem is that the fruit size can be on the small side, so a good session thinning the fruitlets at the end of May is usually called for.

If you like the juicy sharpness of James Grieve or Lord Lambourne, but want something more crisp then Topaz is a great choice. Fans of Granny Smith may also like it.

Sometimes marketed as Crimson® Topaz.

Topaz apple identification images

All images copyright Orange Pippin unless otherwise stated.

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USDA identification images for Topaz

The identification paintings in the USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection span the years 1886 to 1942.

    Citation: U.S. Department of Agriculture Pomological Watercolor Collection. Rare and Special Collections, National Agricultural Library, Beltsville, MD 20705.

    Parents and other ancestors of this variety


    Offspring of this variety


    See also

    • Rajka - Rajka and Topaz were both developed at the Institute of Experimental Botany, Czech Republic

    Visitor reviews

    • 25 Mar 2019  GEORGIA, United States
      It’s the best apple in my garden
    • 16 Mar 2017  WEST YORKSHIRE, United Kingdom
      I grow the Red Topaz variety of this apple, also, I'm told, marketed as Evita. It's my favourite apple, with a very complex, almost blackcurrant flavour. I've been grafting it onto other trees so I can have more! I got the original scions from a farm in the south of England, but it grows well here in the north.
    • 15 Oct 2016  BC, Canada
      Crisp and tangy when bought from the UBC Apple festival, in mid Oct. Taste lingers nicely on the tongue.
    • 25 Sep 2016  BERN, Switzerland
      We have 3 dwarf Topaz trees in our garden in different locations here in Switzerland. They are all prolific bearers. One has a bushy habit and the other two require supports. Fruit is excellent, tart and sweet. I just keep them on the trees and they are good until November.
    • 19 Oct 2015  MI, United States
      This apple is absolutely superb! The taste is rather complex; tangy, spicy, and a little sweet, with a crisp bite and nice juiciness. Topaz may be my new favorite.
    • 27 Sep 2015  OHIO, United States
      WOW. Just tried this variety for the first time. Picked from Branstool Orchard in Utica OH on Sept 26th. What a delightful little apple!! Crisp and complex. Every bite is different. Tart, Sweet, Spicy - It's all there. Nothing boring about this variety! In my opinion they're the perfect size. I like a small apple you can eat as a quick snack. I wouldn't mind working a little longer to prepare enough for a pie either. I'm quite interested to see what that will taste like! My kids adored them. Munched on them all throughout the orchard as we picked other varieties. Definitely a new favorite!
    • 29 Apr 2015  STAFFORD, United Kingdom
      Sainsburys are marketing Hereford Topaz organic apples in April. I must say they taste superb. One or two are going a bit wooly but on the whole they could be straight off the tree. English apples in April would have been impossible a few years ago! Cox went off sale in Jan and Gala in March, this is English apples of course and these were as good as off the tree if not better for storage.
    • 24 Apr 2015  MI, United States
      I just bought some at the end of April in a Family Fare store in Michigan. Love the subtle tartness. The red topaz is a nice eating apple.
    • 18 Jan 2012  ZATEC, Czech Republic
      Excellent taste. Red variety of Topaz exists now.
    • 30 Nov 2011  Switzerland
      Very satisfying flavor and consistency. Excellent
    • 28 Apr 2010  WASHINGTON, United States
      Alex, I see you wrote asking about this in February, and I find your plea 27th April. It may be too late to order for this season, but Adams County Nursery carries Topaz. By your phone # you must live in the States and therefore could order from this company. (OrangePippin.com is based in the UK; I don't believe you or I could order trees from overseas, for instance, Keepers Nursery.)
    • 22 Feb 2010  NEW JERSEY, United States
      Hi, Could anyone send me several pieces of Topaz scion wood? I will pay for it and shipping. Please! I've been looking for it on the internet and this is the single topic where it was found. It is needed for my dad. He's going crazy about this Topaz for a long time. My email is alexrudniy@gmail.com cell 646-684-5876 Thank you.
    • 09 Nov 2009  APPLE COUNTRY, NY, United States
      Tasted my first Topaz yesterday. One of our local growers just had their first harvest this year. I was impressed. This apple is tasty and crisp with a nice tartness. I did not think that it was as tart as a Granny Smith, so if you are looking for a very tart apple, this might not be for you, but for those that like semi-tart this would be an excellent choice.
    • 15 Sep 2009  Switzerland
      I bought and planted my "Topaz" tree last autumn...The tree was an absolute delight in spring, with very healthy looking leaves and blossom..Apples appeared soon afterwards but then disaster struck. I awoke one morning to find my beloved little tree had been infected with "fire blight"...It`s still hanging on in there, (It`s now September) and did`nt drop any of it`s nine apples..:-) I watered it everyday after noticing the attack and gave it an occasional feed. I`m now hoping that next year it will come back as the healthy little tree I first bought..
    • 04 Dec 2008  IJSSELSTEIN , Netherlands
      I can tell you this is one of the best apples I know. This tree is now 6 years in my garden. i get plenty of apples every year, and all that without spraying
    • 23 Oct 2007  MA, United States
      Adams County Nursery has sold Topaz trees. Just fruiting this variety, I am impressed -- one of the best scab-resistant apples I have seen, and I have seen a lot of them!
    • 09 Oct 2007  MAINE, United States
      Do you know where I can get scion wood for the topaz apple in the USA?

    Tree register

    United States

    United Kingdom

    Belgium

    Czech Republic

    Ireland

    Netherlands

    Switzerland

    Poland

    Spring blossom records for this variety

    2017 season

    • 17th April  2017  - tree owned by Richard in York, United Kingdom
    • 10th April  2017  - tree owned by Gil in Snohomish, United States

    2014 season

    • 15th April  2014  - tree owned by Gil in Snohomish, United States

    2013 season

    • 11th May  2013  - tree owned by Richard in York, United Kingdom
    • 5th May  2013  - tree owned by Florian in Brush Prairie, United States
    • 19th April  2013  - tree owned by Gil in Snohomish, United States

    2012 season

    • 7th May  2012  - tree owned by Florian in Brush Prairie, United States
    • 20th March  2012  - tree owned by Chris in Cork, Ireland

    2009 season

    • 11th May  2009  - tree owned by Jon in Belchertown, United States

    Record your blossom dates in our Fruit Tree Register - more >>.


    Harvest records for this variety

    2017 season

    • 2nd week October  2017  - tree owned by Gil in Snohomish, United States
    • 2nd week October  2017  - tree owned by John in Newark, United Kingdom

    2016 season

    • September  2016  - tree owned by Martyn in Chippenham, United Kingdom

    2014 season

    • 4th week October  2014  - tree owned by Gil in Snohomish, United States

    2013 season

    • 4th week October  2013  - tree owned by Gil in Snohomish, United States

    2012 season

    • 3rd week September  2012  - tree owned by Chris in Cork, Ireland

    2010 season

    • October  2010  - tree owned by Vojtech in Zatec, Czech Republic

    2009 season

    • 1st week October  2009  - tree owned by Jon in Belchertown, United States
    • October  2009  - tree owned by Vojtech in Zatec, Czech Republic

    Origins

    • Species: Malus domestica - Apple
    • Parentage: Vanda x Rubin
    • Originates from: Czech Republic
    • Introduced: 1990s
    • Developed by: Dr. Jaroslav Tupy, Institute of Experimental Botany
    • UK National Fruit Collection accession: 1948-737

    Identification

    • Awards: RHS AGM (current)
    • Country of origin: Czech Republic
    • Period of origin: 1950 - 1999
    • Fruit colour: Orange / Red
    • Fruit colour: Orange flush
    • Flower colour: Pink - light
    • Annual cycle: Deciduous

    Using

    • Picking season: Late
    • Keeping (of fruit): 1-2 months
    • Flavour quality: Good
    • Flavour style (apples): Sharper
    • Discoloration of fruit: No discoloration (Good for drying)
    • Juice style: Sharper
    • Cropping: Heavy
    • Fruit persistence: Persistent
    • Food uses: Eating fresh
    • Picking period: mid-October
    • Wildlife: RHS Plants for Pollinators

    Growing

    • Gardening skill: Beginner
    • Flowering group: 3
    • Pollinating others: Average
    • Ploidy: Diploid
    • Vigour: Slightly large
    • Precocity: Precocious
    • Bearing regularity: Regular
    • Growth habit: Upright
    • Fruit bearing: Spur-bearer
    • Self-fertility: Not self-fertile

    Climate

    • Climate suitability: Temperate climates
    • Climate suitability: Mild damp climates
    • Summer average maximum temperatures: Cool ( 20-24C / 68-75F)
    • Summer average maximum temperatures: Warm (25-30C / 76-85F)
    • Cold hardiness (RHS): H6 (to -20C)

    Other qualities

    • Disease resistance: Good
    • Scab (Apple and Pear): Very resistant
    • Powdery mildew: Some resistance

    Where to buy trees

    The following tree nurseries offer Topaz apple trees for sale:


    Where to buy fresh fruit

    The following orchards grow Topaz:

    United States


    Netherlands


    Switzerland




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