Sundowner® Apple on G.11 (Spring 2026)
An excellent warm-climate apple with a very low chill requirement. Also known as Cripps Red.
Sundowner® is an outstanding tree for southern growers: it is vigorous, spreading, precocious, reliably annual, and it has a low chill requirement of 200-300 hours. This tree loves long, hot summers. It comes from Australia!
The apple is blushed red over yellow-green with white flesh. It is crispy and tangy, with well balanced sugar (Brix 12.5-15) and acid. Ripening late in the season, Sundowner® will store for up to six months, and it also makes a great baking apple.
Sundowner® was created by John Cripps, the same Australian breeder that brought us Pink Lady®. In fact, Sundowner® and Pink Lady® are true siblings, having exactly the same parents: Golden Delicious and Lady Williams. As is also the case with Pink Lady®, Sundowner® is a trademark name only. The variety itself actually has the more prosaic name of Cripps Red. In Europe this apple is marketed as Joya.
The Fruit
Fruit Type
Category: Apple
Subcategory:
Hot-Climate, Dessert
Fruit Uses & Storage
Uses: fresh eating, baking, storage, sauce
Storage duration: three plus months (approximate, depending on storage conditions)
Fruit Appearance
Skin color: red
Flesh color: white
Fruit Origins
Parentage: Golden Delicious x Lady Williams
Origin: Western Australia
Introduced in: 1979
Introduced by: John Cripps
The Environment
Calendar & Geography
USDA zones: 6 - 8
Chill hours: 300
Ripening date: Nov 10 (approximate, in New York State) + 56 days after McIntosh
Tree Height & Spacing
glossary
Rootstock: G.11 Rootstock
Rootstock size class: Dwarf (25% of Standard)
Tree spacing (natural spread of tree): 8'
Good for wildlife planting? N
Diseases & Pests
glossary
Sundowner® Apple on G.11 does not have any diseases or pests associated with it at this time.
Pollination
Pollination Factors
glossary
Bloom group: 3
Is it self-fertile? N
Is it fertile? Y
Ploidy: Diploid
Rootstock size class:
Dwarf (25% of Standard)
Pollination Partners
This table shows the first few results from a full search for pollenizers of Sundowner® Apple on G.11. Please see our Pollenizer Search to run other queries and read how the application uses various factors. Also read more about fruit tree pollination.
| Tree | Currently in Stock |
|---|---|
| Blondee™ Apple on G.214 | 233 |
| Enterprise Apple on G.214 | 225 |
| Pixie Crunch™ Apple on G.11 | 178 |
| Newtown Pippin Apple on G.41 | 156 |
| Sansa Apple on G.11 | 143 |
| Golden Russet Apple on G.214 | 141 |
| CrimsonCrisp™ Apple on G.214 | 141 |
| Williams' Pride Apple on G.11 | 135 |
| Porter's Perfection Apple on G.41 | 126 |
| Sweet Sixteen Apple on G.41 | 118 |
| Virginia Crab Apple on G.214 | 117 |