Stark® Red Romance® Apple Tree
Description
Flavor rivals Honeycrisp. A deep-red dessert apple, with pale yellow-cream flesh that’s full of juice and sweet crunch. Tree grows like Gala, but thrives further south. Tolerates wet seasons with little or no fruit rot. Shows promising resistance to cedar apple rust, apple scab and fire blight. Stores up to 6 months. Originates from Winchester, Illinois in 2002. Ripens in early October, about 2-1/2 weeks after Honeycrisp. Pollinator required: Choose another apple variety like Starkspur® Red Rome Beauty, Stark® Jon-A-Red® Jonathan, or any Golden Delicious. USPPAF
Survival Guaranteed!
Since 1816, Stark Bro’s has promised to provide customers with the very best fruit trees and plants. It’s just that simple. If your trees or plants do not survive, please let us know within one year of delivery. We will send you a free one-time replacement, with a nominal shipping fee of $9.99. If the item in question is not available, we can issue a one-time credit to your account equaling the original product purchase price or issue you a refund. Read more about our warranty policy.
Characteristics
| Bloom Color | Pink, White |
| Bloom Time | Mid |
| Fruit Color | Red |
| Fruit Size | Medium - Large |
| Hardiness Zone Range | 5 - 7 |
| Pollination | Pollinator Required |
| Ripens/Harvest | Early October |
| Shade/Sun | Full Sun |
| Soil Composition | Loamy |
| Soil Moisture | Well Drained |
| Soil pH Level | 6.0 - 7.0 |
| Taste | Sweet |
| Texture | Crisp, Juicy |
| Years to Bear | 2 - 5 |
Size & Spacing
Mature Size
Recommended Spacing
Zone Compatibility
Pollination
Tools & Supplies
Planting & Care
Learn all about how to grow apple trees in The Growing Guide. An entire section of our website dedicated to your growing success.
Shipping Information
Arrives when it's time to plant
Questions & Answers
It's a little iffy ... there is some overlap in their bloom times. Jonafree would be a better pollinator and is also rust-resistant (as well as resistant to mildews and blight).
They could as there is Mid season bloom time for both but the honey crisp does have a chance of being a later bloom so there is a chance it may not. We recommend using trees with the same blloom time early with early,Mid with mid and late with late.
The Stark Red Romance™ Apple is a spur-bearing variety.
In terms of storage, it generally lasts between 3 to 6 months when kept in ideal conditions, such as a cool, dark, and well-ventilated space, typically around 32°F (0°C) with high humidity. Proper storage can help maintain its quality, making it a great apple for long-term storage compared to other varieties.
I am in zone 6b. It is ready late September or early October here. It will vary some based on conditions each year.
Yes as they are both Mid season bloomers.
Hi John, This tree require between 500 and 700 chill hours to break dormancy
Yes these will pollinate together.
That will depend upon which option you choose. Please see the "Choose an option" dropdown menu near the top of the page, which will show you the various sizes/options that are available.
Most of our trees have no branching yet as they are small and can be trained for this method.
Customer Reviews
Here is the saddest part, there was one apple that had grown to a decent size by the time the tree was wiped out; I figured I should at least taste it... it was so sweet. Such a loss! :(
Given how old the tree was (around 3/4 inch caliper, 4-5 feet tall on arrival + 3 years in my care) at the time if its demise and its unexpected weakness to overheat stress and fireblight, I cannot recommend this tree (even though the fruit was delicious). It was really really disappointing after all the time and money spent caring for it. Other apple trees I own from Stark Bros. weathered that heat wave without any issue, like the New Orleans apple, Honey crisp, and Fuji. This was the only one that died, and it lost the battle very, very fast... I could not believe it could go from green leaves to all brown ones within 2 weeks, but it did.
For those who already own or plan to buy this tree, I hope you have better luck than I did.
We wanted to try something new
Trying a new variety while looking for a good snacking apple
Wanted to try something different an can’t go wrong if it’s as good as a honey crisp
Looking for something like the ultra Mac.