Anna is a precocious tree that crops heavily early in the season. It is susceptible to powdery mildew and apple scab, and it has a tendency to calyx-end breakdown. Anna is somewhat self-fertile, but a pollenizer will improve cropping. Care should be taken when choosing a pollenizer as Anna has a very early bloom date, early May in upstate New York.

While the majority of apple trees require around 800 hours under 45 F to complete their dormancy cycles, Anna has been bred especially for climates with warmer winters, and it will be successful in areas with as low as 200-300 chill hours. This makes it suitable for areas where apples are not traditionally grown, such as low desert, the Gulf Coast, and Southern California. The fruit is medium to large sized, with an elongated form that is similar to Red Delicious. The skin is green-yellow and flushed all over with red. The creamy white flesh, which holds its shape well in baking, is crisp, sweet, and semi-acidic.

Anna was bred at the Ein Shemer kibbutz in Israel, where the Einshemer apple was also developed.