Somewhat resistant to fireblight, powdery mildew, and scab, and very resistant to cedar-apple rust, this tree is suitable for the organic orchard or the home garden. Early harvest also means that sooty blotch and fly speck will never be an issue. This is a productive tree but low vigor. The leaves show a genetic chlorosis (yellowing) that is not a result of any disease.

Sansa marks the beginning of "real" apple season. Sure, we've picked the Pristines and eaten one or two William's Prides, but Sansa is the first really fun apple of the year. The apples have a tropical coloring, bright–almost pink and almost orange–red, and they are lightly flecked with a gold russet. The creamy white flesh has the simple sweetness of a Gala (one of its parents) balanced by the acidity of Akane (the other parent). The flesh is firm, almost woody, and it's nothing like the trendy explosiveness of a Honeycrisp, but it is, nevertheless, deeply satisfying. These apples are for fresh eating; they do not store for more than one month.

Sansa was the result of a collaboration of researchers in Japan and New Zealand. In 1969,  a team of Japanese researchers in Morioka sent the pollen of an Akane tree to Dr. Don McKenzie in Havelock North, New Zealand. This pollen was used to fertilize a Gala, and the seeds of the offspring were sent back to Japan, where the new variety was evaluated for almost 20 years before its release in 1988. If only all international relations had such happy outcomes.