Cripps Pink (Pink Lady®) Apple
Pollination & Compatibility Guide
Cripps Pink (Pink Lady) pollination partners, bloom group 4 overlap, and long-season management. Learn diploid compatibility and parentage exclusions.
Cripps Pink is Self-Sterile (Needs 1 Partner)
Late bloom (group 4–5). Cripps Pink (Pink Lady®) needs at least one compatible pollinizer from bloom group 3–5 to set a reliable crop.
- Chromosome Ploidy
- Diploid (2n)
- Required Companions
- 1 Diploid Partner
- Bloom Group
- Group 4 (Late-Spring)
- Harvest Timing
- Late (+30d 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 3 to 5 provides matching blossom overlap.
Compatible Pollination Partners (72)
| Cultivar | Bloom Group | Overlap Type | Harvest | Primary Uses | Interactive Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±5d delta | Cooking | Test Cross | |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±10d delta | All-Purpose | Test Cross | |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±10d delta | All-Purpose, Storage | Test Cross | |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±15d delta | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±15d delta | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±15d delta | Fresh Eating | Test Cross | |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±20d delta | All-Purpose | Test Cross | |
Newtown Pippin | Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±20d delta | All-Purpose, Storage | Test Cross |
White Winter Pearmain | Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±20d delta | All-Purpose, Storage | Test Cross |
| Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±20d delta | All-Purpose, Cider | Test Cross | |
York Imperial | Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±20d delta | All-Purpose, Storage | Test Cross |
Beni Shogun | Group 4 | Full Overlap | Mid ±25d delta | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
Tydeman's Late Orange | Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±25d delta | Fresh Eating | Test Cross |
Melrose | Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±30d delta | All-Purpose, Storage | Test Cross |
Tolman Sweet | Group 4 | Full Overlap | Late ±30d delta | Cooking, Cider | Test Cross |
Incompatible Varieties & Exclusions (16)
These varieties overlap in flowering time with Cripps Pink 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.
Fall Pippin produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
A direct parent (Golden Delicious × Lady Williams) — 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.
A direct parent (Golden Delicious × Lady Williams) — roughly half the pollen is non-functional, so it is not a reliable partner.
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.
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.
Zabergau Reinette produces no viable pollen, so it cannot serve as a pollinizer.
Grower Commentary: Managing Cripps Pink Pollination & Season Length
Cripps Pink (marketed under the registered trademark Pink Lady® when meeting strict color and sugar standards) is a diploid, self-sterile cultivar bred in Stoneville, Western Australia, by John Cripps from a cross of Golden Delicious × Lady Williams. Flowering in bloom group 4 (mid-to-late season), it produces viable pollen and requires cross-pollination from compatible diploids like Gala, Granny Smith, Fuji, or Braeburn.
Parentage exclusions: Because Golden Delicious and Lady Williams are the direct parents of Cripps Pink, they share self-incompatibility alleles and must not be used as exclusive pollination partners in commercial blocks.
Cripps Pink has one of the longest growing season requirements of any commercial apple, needing 200 or more frost-free days to mature. It ripens in late autumn, requiring warm summer heat followed by cool autumn nights to trigger anthocyanin synthesis for its distinctive pink blush.
The tree exhibits strong apical dominance and vigorous upright growth. Canopy management requires early limb spreading, summer pruning, and deficit irrigation to prevent excessive vegetative shading that compromises fruit color and flower bud initiation.
Key Orchard Considerations for Cripps Pink
Plant only in warm, long-season climates where late autumn frosts will not freeze fruit before full physiological maturity.
Do not rely on parent variety Golden Delicious or Lady Williams as exclusive cross-pollination partners.
Spread upright scaffold branches to horizontal angles early to open the canopy for sunlight penetration and pink blush development.
Take Cripps Pink 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 Cripps Pink 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.