Starkspur® Red Rome Beauty Apple Tree
Description
About the Starkspur® Red Rome Beauty Apple Tree
For baking enthusiasts and home gardeners alike, the Starkspur® Red Rome Beauty Apple Tree is a must-have for its exceptional culinary qualities and heavy production. Known as the best baking apple, these shiny red fruits are just tart enough to elevate pies, crisps, cobblers, and even sautéed apple slices. Their firm texture ensures they hold their shape beautifully when cooked, making them a standout choice for kitchen creations.
A Stark Bro’s Exclusive, this unique variety is precocious and productive, earning the nickname “mortgage maker” for its reliable and abundant yields. Thanks to its spur-bearing habit, this tree produces fruit along each limb, from the trunk outward, maximizing harvest potential. Cold-hardy and self-pollinating, the Starkspur® Red Rome Beauty begins bearing fruit just 2–3 years after planting and delivers a heavy crop of bright red apples in mid-October.
How to Grow the Starkspur® Red Rome Beauty Apple Tree
The Starkspur® Red Rome Beauty thrives in USDA Zones 4–8 and requires full sun and well-drained soil for optimal growth. Its self-pollinating nature allows it to produce fruit on its own, though planting it alongside another apple variety can enhance yields. This late-blooming variety also provides some natural protection against spring frost damage.
To encourage healthy growth and maintain its signature heavy-bearing habit, prune in late winter or early spring. With chill hour requirements between 700–1000 hours, this tree performs well in a variety of climates. Its sturdy spurs not only increase fruit production but also reduce the need for intensive maintenance.
Add the Starkspur® Red Rome Beauty Apple Tree to your orchard for a reliable supply of versatile apples that excel in both flavor and function. Perfect for fresh eating and an unbeatable choice for baking, this tree is a testament to Stark Bro’s commitment to quality and innovation.
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 | White |
| Bloom Time | Mid - Late |
| Chill Hours | 700 - 1000 |
| Fruit Color | Red |
| Fruit Size | Large |
| Hardiness Zone Range | 4 - 8 |
| Pollination | Self-Pollinating |
| Ripens/Harvest | Mid October |
| Shade/Sun | Full Sun |
| Soil Composition | Loamy |
| Soil Moisture | Well Drained |
| Soil pH Level | 6.0 - 7.0 |
| Taste | Sweet, Tart |
| Texture | Firm |
| Years to Bear | 2 - 3 |
Size & Spacing
Mature Size
| Semi-Dwarf | 12 - 15' tall x 12 - 15' wide |
| Dwarf | 8 - 10' tall x 8 - 10' wide |
Recommended Spacing
| Semi-Dwarf | 12 - 15' |
| Dwarf | 8 - 10' |
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
I have found that this apple cans well. However, I've never frozen apples. My first thought is that they may become mushy. However, I do freeze peaches for baking and they are worth the effort. You may consider freezing a small (4-5) amount and using them in a baked tart - my guess is that after baking, they would be fine! Good luck, Lorri!
4 to 5 months in proper storage.
It appears to make it thru the winters. Up to -20 chill factor the coldest to date
Our trees are young when shipped and are 2 years of age.
This apple generally ripens in mid-October, so it's close, but if the apples are still green, they're not ready. The best way to tell for sure is to cut one open and see if the seeds are dark brown. That is a ripe apple.
I have 20+ years experience growing Red Rome Beauty apples and I concur that they seem to grow more slowly than other varieties----my experience suggests that it takes 4-5 years for enough growth to produce a reasonable fruit yield and even then, the yield will increase steadily over the next few years. But don't lose heart----those apples will be almost certainly the last ones you will harvest in the season and they will keep (especially by freezing) better than any other that I know of. I wish I knew how to get them to produce faster but patience is the only solution I can offer----tw
Hi, Beverly N! My Red Rome did exactly the same thing. I even had tiny apples the first year! They were tasty, too! We are in the Willamette Valley in Oregon. I think it is normal for these to bloom early and easily under the right conditions. I purchase multiple varieties and my RR is the only one that produced first year.
We do not measure based on caliper but typically these are young whips if that gives you a better idea as to what it would be. And Dwarf would be available if it is listed in the drop down menu options.
Yes and you should prune seasonally so that the tree will produce.
You can grow almost anything in a container! This excellent article will answer your questions and provide good advice. Please see "Growing Fruit Trees in Containers" //www.starkbros.com/growing-guide/article/fruit-trees-in-containers-pt1
Customer Reviews
Thankfully an excellent grower like Stark made it available for home gardens
Late dropping
Can't remember I think because it is a pollinator
Self pollinating
My late father's favorite apple & impossible to find fresh Rome apples. Also, pollinator for our favorite, Mutsu.