Cosmic Crisp® (WA 38) Apple
Pollination & Compatibility Guide
Cosmic Crisp (WA 38) pollination partners, bloom group 3 timing, and tree management. Grower guide covering tip-bearing habits and parentage exclusions.
Cosmic Crisp is Self-Sterile (Needs 1 Partner)
Cosmic Crisp® needs at least one compatible pollinizer from bloom group 2–4 to set a reliable crop.
- Chromosome Ploidy
- Diploid (2n)
- Required Companions
- 1 Diploid Partner
- Bloom Group
- Group 3 (Mid-Spring)
- Harvest Timing
- Late (+10d from Golden Delicious)
Flowering Period & Overlap Window
Apple flowering periods are classified into numbered bloom groups (1 through 6). A variety reliably cross-pollinates with cultivars in its own group or adjacent groups (±1 group).
Any compatible diploid apple flowering within Group 2 to 4 provides matching blossom overlap.
Compatible Pollination Partners (86)
| Cultivar | Bloom Group | Overlap Type | Harvest | Primary Uses | Interactive Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lady | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late Concurrent (±0d) | Decorative, Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
Black Oxford | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late ±5d delta | All-Purpose, Storage | Test Cross |
EverCrisp® | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late ±5d delta | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid ±5d delta | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
Hudson's Golden Gem | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late ±10d delta | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
Keepsake | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late ±10d delta | Storage, All-Purpose | Test Cross |
Northwest Greening | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late ±10d delta | Cooking | Test Cross |
Peck's Pleasant | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Mid ±10d delta | All-Purpose | Test Cross |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late ±10d delta | All-Purpose, Storage | Test Cross | |
Regent | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late ±10d delta | All-Purpose | Test Cross |
Suncrisp | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late ±10d delta | All-Purpose | Test Cross |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late ±10d delta | Fresh Eating, Cider | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late ±15d delta | All-Purpose | Test Cross | |
| Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late ±15d delta | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
Connell Red | Group 3 | Full Overlap | Late ±20d delta | All-Purpose | Test Cross |
Incompatible Varieties & Exclusions (20)
These varieties overlap in flowering time with Cosmic Crisp but cannot fertilise it due to sterile pollen (triploids) or shared genetic incompatibility alleles.
Arkansas Black produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Ashmead's Kernel produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Baldwin produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Belle de Boskoop produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Blenheim Orange produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Bramley's Seedling produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
A direct parent (Enterprise × Honeycrisp) — roughly half the pollen is non-functional, so it is not a reliable partner.
Fall Pippin produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Gravenstein produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
A direct parent (Enterprise × Honeycrisp) — roughly half the pollen is non-functional, so it is not a reliable partner.
Jonagold produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Karmijn de Sonnaville produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Mutsu (Crispin) produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Orleans Reinette produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Ribston Pippin produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Roxbury Russet produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Spigold produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Stayman Winesap produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Tompkins King produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Zabergau Reinette produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Grower Commentary: Cosmic Crisp Vigour, Tip-Bearing & Licensing
Cosmic Crisp® (cultivar name WA 38) is a diploid, self-sterile apple bred by Bruce Barritt at Washington State University from a controlled cross of Enterprise × Honeycrisp (released 2019). Flowering in bloom group 3 (mid-season), it produces fertile pollen and is cross-pollinated effectively by compatible diploids such as Gala, Granny Smith, Fuji, and Golden Delicious.
Parentage exclusions: Because WA 38 inherits alleles from Enterprise and Honeycrisp, neither parent cultivar can serve as an effective sole pollination partner. Furthermore, sibling varieties sharing Honeycrisp parentage (such as EverCrisp or SweeTango) should not be relied upon as single companions.
Tree architecture and blind wood: WA 38 displays high vegetative vigor with a pronounced tip-bearing growth habit and a tendency toward blind wood on 2-year limbs. Pruning strategies require 'click pruning' (heading back one-year shoots) or bud notching to stimulate lateral spur formation and avoid unproductive canopy zones.
Fruit quality and licensing: Inheriting the scab-immune genetics of Enterprise, WA 38 exhibits natural resistance to bitter pit and exceptional post-harvest shelf life. WA 38 is a managed club variety with propagation restricted under commercial licensing agreements.
Key Orchard Considerations for Cosmic Crisp
Head back 1-year shoots during winter pruning to break apical dominance and force lateral spur development.
Do not pair with Honeycrisp, Enterprise, or sibling club varieties as exclusive cross-pollination partners.
Significantly less prone to calcium disorders than Honeycrisp, with outstanding room-temperature shelf life after harvest.
Take Cosmic Crisp from Planning to Planting
Use Kropigo's free browser tools to model your block density, tree counts, and pollinizer rows, then maintain permanent orchard records row by row.
Pollination Checker
Check Cosmic Crisp against supported cultivars with compatible flowering and pollination data.
Commercial Block Planner
Calculate high-density tree spacing, row geometry, and establishment costs.
Block Record Keeping
Track pruning, chemical thinning, and harvest tallies block by block from the orchard.