GoldRush is a modern disease-resistant apple, equally suitable for commercial growers or gardeners and home orchardists. It is widely recognised as one of the best of all modern apples, both in terms of its flavour and its growth characteristics. It makes a fine addition to any backyard orchard.
Its parentage is complex, but it is derived from Golden Delicious and it inherits that variety's excellent crisp texture, sweetness, and long storage capability.
The flavour when freshly-picked is pronounced and distinctly sharper than Golden Delicious, but it sweetens in storage and it has a good balance of sweet and sharp flavours.
The trees grow with a compact and neat habit, and are usually untroubled by diseases, making it an excellent choice for a no-spray orchard. Feedback from customers and posts in online orchard forums suggest GoldRush really does have excellent disease-resistance.
In the USA, where it originates, GoldRush has become popular for hard cider production - it is a juicy apple, and the juice is also very characterful, with an intense rich tangy sweetness which makes a great addition to cider blends. It is a good variety for sweet cider too.
Next deliveries: December 2024 - February 2025
GoldRush has a tendency to over-crop which if not checked can lead to biennial bearing as the tree gets older. However this is easily remedied by thinning the crop in late spring.
It is very resistant to scab, and fairly resistant to fireblight. However it is susceptible to rust infections and may require a basic fungicide if this is an issue in your area.
GoldRush blossoms quite late, and therefore needs another late-flowering variety nearby for pollination.
It also ripens late, and it needs a long growing season - typically late October or November. It is therefore very suitable for southern and central Europe, but in cooler climates it may only be possible to get the apples to ripen if the tree is grown against a south-facing wall.
GoldRush was developed from a joint breeding program between the Indiana, Illinois and New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Stations in the 1990s.
This variety description was researched and written by Orange Pippin staff. Last checked: 2024.