'GoldRush' apple is an easy to grow late maturing apple cultivar in the Roseaceae (rose) family. It was created through a partnership between Indiana, Illinois, and New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Stations, using the seed from golden delicious apples pollinated by various apple cultivars. 'GoldRush' was bred to be resistant to apple scab, mildew, and have a mild resistance to fire blight. Plant in the full sun in well drained soils in zones 5 though 8. This cultivar is grafted onto either a semi-dwarf root stock (M-7) reaching a mature height of 12 to 16 feet tall or a dwarfing root stock (M-26) reaching a mature height of 8 to 12 feet tall. This root stock is resistant to drought once established. This tree is not self fertile so will need other apples in the area for good fruit set and consider supporting mason bee populations to promote pollination. The frees are erect with a medium to vigorous growth rate, easily developing a central leader and wide crotch angles. Flowerings appear in the spring earlier than 'Enterprise' and after 'Golden Delicious' and the fruits ripen in mid to late October 2 to 3 years after planting. Thinning fruit will produce the best quality large fruits. 'GoldRush' is a late maturing apple with a golden yellow skin color and a "rush" of great flavor, hence the name. The flesh is juicy and sweet, with high acidity, and has a long shelf life if kept refrigerated. The acid in the fruit mellows after 2 to 3 months in cold storage, but it maintains its crisp texture and bright flavor. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Codlign moths can affect fruit quality and aphids are sometimes a pest on the leaves. More resistant to diseases than other apples. Susceptible to sooty blotch and some susceptibility to cedar apple rust. The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center has a factsheet on common apple and crab apple diseases and other plant problems. VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Edibles, Bulbs, and Houseplants," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Malus domestica .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Fills a similar nicheDiospyros kaki 'Jiro'Eriobotrya japonicaMalus Royal Raindrops® 'JFS-KW5'
Full plant profile
Growing Conditions
Plant type
Tree
Life cycle
Woody
USDA zones
5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
Available space
6-feet-12 feet; 12-24 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
2 - Understory
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Ovate
Leaf margin
Doubly Serrate; Serrate
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Simple, alternate, ovate to oval, serrate to double serrate margins, tips acute to acuminate, base acute to rounded. Petioles have red pigmentation which is more prevalent with sun exposure.
Flower color
Pink; White
Flower detail
Rose to magenta fading to white margins appear in April
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; Gold/Yellow; Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Pome
Fruit value
Edible
Fruit size
1-3 inches wide
Fruit detail
Ovate to round 3" in diameter green-yellow skin with some bronze to red blush at maturity and prominate lenticles. Then turns deep yellow after storage. Skin is non-waxy, flesh is medium to coarse grained, acidic, and bright but mellows after storage, resists growing with a complex spicy flavor. Seeds are black-brown.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Wildlife value
Mason bees pollinate the flowers.
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Fruit
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Pome
Edibility
Fruits are highly edible used as a winter dessert apple fresh, in pies or crisps, or juiced into cider. It has good storage ability.
Landscape Use
Landscape theme
Children's Garden; Edible Garden
Design feature
Flowering Tree; Small Tree
Garden tags
#edible garden #flowering tree #easy to grow #edible fruits #edible tree #drought tolerant #yellow fruits #semi-dwarf #flowers mid-spring #disease resistant #small tree #storage apple #dwarf #erect #fruit tree #fruits mid-fall