A high vigor, spreading tree, Suntan is a reliable annual bearer, and the late bloom will be of benefit in areas where frost is an issue. It is susceptible to canker in damper climates and powdery mildew in arid ones. It is a triploid, and two diploid pollenizers should be present for full fertility.

This late-season apple has one of the most distinguished pedigrees of all the varieties we sell. It is an offspring of Cox's Orange Pippin and the ancient Court Pendu Plat. Suntan is often mentioned on English forums as a candidate for the "best eating apple ever" along with its fabled parent Cox's. From Cox's it has inherited both profundity of flavor and susceptibility to disease. The apple is slightly flattened, gold with orange-red stripes, and the flesh is firm, coarse, crisp, and juicy. Tasters find notes of citrus, pear, and vanilla. On our farm in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, Suntan is a reliably productive tree with fruit that reaches watercored perfection in early October, and remains in excellent condition through the early winter. It is a staple of our holiday gift box offering.

Suntan was bred at the East Malling Research Station in Kent, England in 1956. It was introduced in 1974.