Stark® Red Romance® Apple Tree

Stark® Red Romance® delivers the Honeycrisp experience with something Honeycrisp itself can’t always guarantee — reliability. Developed in Winchester, Illinois in 2002, this Stark Bro’s exclusive Honeycrisp cross produces the same sweet, crisp, juicy bite with deep red skin over pale yellow-cream flesh, but with improved tolerance to challenging conditions, wet seasons, and common diseases that can make standard Honeycrisp frustrating to grow. The flesh is slow to brown when cut, the tree stores fruit for up to 5–6 months, and it ripens about 2½ weeks after Honeycrisp to extend the harvest season into early October. A Stark Bro’s exclusive.

Honeycrisp Flavor — With the Resilience Honeycrisp Lacks

Standard Honeycrisp is beloved for its flavor but notorious for its demands — susceptible to bitter pit, prone to fruit rot in wet seasons, and challenging in warmer climates. Red Romance® addresses those weaknesses directly. Excellent wet-season tolerance with little to no fruit rot, promising resistance to cedar apple rust, scab, and fire blight, and strong performance in warmer regions combine to make it the Honeycrisp cross that home orchardists can actually depend on season after season.

Slow-to-Brown Flesh — 5–6 Months of Storage

Two practical qualities that distinguish Red Romance® from most Honeycrisp crosses: the pale yellow-cream flesh is slow to brown when cut, making it exceptional for slicing, fruit platters, and everyday use where appearance after cutting matters. And with proper storage, the apples hold for 5–6 months — extending the enjoyment of each year’s harvest well into winter and spring. The fruit also holds well on the tree before harvest, giving home orchardists flexibility in timing.

Extends the Harvest Season

Red Romance® ripens approximately 2½ weeks after standard Honeycrisp — a meaningful succession timing for orchardists who want to extend the fresh apple season without a large gap. Plant Red Romance® alongside an earlier Honeycrisp-type variety and enjoy the same beloved flavor profile across a longer harvest window.

Why Growers Choose Stark® Red Romance®

• A Stark Bro’s exclusive — only available from Stark Bro’s
• Honeycrisp flavor with improved resilience — all the sweetness, far fewer headaches
• Slow-to-brown flesh — exceptional for slicing and everyday use
• 5–6 months of storage — long-lasting enjoyment from an early October harvest
• Wet-season fruit rot tolerance — dependable where Honeycrisp struggles in humid conditions
• Promising triple disease resistance — cedar rust, scab, and fire blight

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