Gala (apple)


Gala is an apple cultivar with a sweet, mild flavor, a crisp but not hard texture, and a striped or mottled orange or reddish appearance. Originating from New Zealand in the 1930s, similar to most named apples it is clonally propagated. Easy to grow, the Gala is one of the top commercial apple varieties today and one of the most popular in North America.

Appearance and flavor

Gala apples are non-uniform in color, usually vertically striped or mottled, with an overall orange color. They have creamy white flesh, which is sweet, fine textured, and aromatic. In addition to being eaten raw and cooked they are especially suitable for creating sauces.
  • Density 0.86 g/cc
  • Sugar 13.5%
  • Acidity 4.2 grams/ litre
  • Vitamin C 0–5 mg / 100 gram
55–60 mm60–65 mm65–70 mm70–75 mm75–80 mm80–85 mm
1%6%12%40%38%3%

History

The first Gala apple tree was one of many seedlings resulting from a cross between a Golden Delicious and a Kidd's Orange Red planted in Greytown, Wairarapa, New Zealand in the 1930s by orchardist J.H. Kidd. Selected in 1939, introduced in 1960. Donald W. McKenzie, an employee of Stark Bros Nursery, obtained a US plant patent for the cultivar on October 15, 1974. It is a relatively new introduction to the UK, first planted in commercial volumes during the 1980s. The variety now represents about 20% of the total volume of the commercial production of eating apples grown in the UK, often replacing Cox's Orange Pippin.
During the 2000s the provincial government of Nova Scotia, Canada, subsidized apple producers to replace older trees, mainly the McIntosh, with newer higher-return varieties of apples, including the Gala. Elsewhere in Canada, apple orchardists made the switch as well. By the 2020s, the Gala has become one of the top apple varieties in Canada, alongside the Ambrosia and Honeycrisp. Most Canadian Gala apples are grown in Ontario and British Columbia.
During the 1980s, American wholesalers began searching for new apple varieties, and one they picked was the Gala. In 2018, the Gala surpassed Red Delicious as the apple cultivar with the highest production in the United States, according to the US Apple Association. It was the first time in over 50 years that any cultivar was produced more than Red Delicious. By 2024, the Gala accounted for 17% of sales in the United States, more than any other apple. The majority of American Gala apples are harvested in Washington State, Michigan, and New York State.

Sports (mutations)

Many sports of Gala have been selected, mostly for increased red color, including the popular Royal Gala. The original cultivar produced fruit with orange stripes and a partial orange blush over a yellow background. Since then, several un-patented sports have been recognized. Additionally, more than twenty sports have received US plant patents:
Date"Inventor"Marketed asMutated fromAssigneeHabitPatternEarlierColorPlant patent number
Feb 20, 2013W. Fulford, New ZealandRegal Gala Galareddish orange blush over a yellow groundUSPP 3309
Oct 15, 1974McKenzieGala–Starkstandardpartial blush–yellow
Oct 4, 1977H.W. Ten Hove, New ZealandRoyal Gala, TenroyGala3637Starkstandardstripe–red
May 10, 1988John Creech, USScarlet GalaKidd's D-83637C & 0standardblush–scarlet
Aug 1, 1989K.W. Kiddle, New ZealandGalaxyTenroy4121Starkstandardstripeearlierintense red
Dec 18, 1990CooperTreco Spur Red Gala No. 42, RegalAuvilOregon Rootstockspurstripe–red
Jul 16, 1991FulfordFulfordKidd3637standardblush–bright red
Mar 1, 1994OlsenObrogala, UltraRedTenroy4121Starkstandardstripe2–4 daysredder
Apr 5, 1994Waliser, USWaliser GalaTenroy4121Waliserstandardstripe10 daysbright red
May 10, 1994HillApplewaitesKidd's3637standardblush2–3 daysmore complete red
Nov 5, 1996OlsenOlsentwo Gala, Pacific GalaRoyal Gala4121standardstripe5–10 daysdistinguishably different
Sep 2, 1997Paul Brookfield, New ZealandBaigentRoyal Gala4121Brookfieldstandardstripeextremely earlybright red
Nov 11, 1997GaleGale GalaRoyal Gala4121Van Well, USstandardstripe3 weeksmore complete
Jun 23, 1998Tina Fackler, USBig Red GalaKidd's3637Protreestandardstripe–same
Mar 30, 1999SimmonsSimmonsImperialPeace Valleystandardstripe21 daysbrighter red
Jan 18, 2000StiekemaStiekema 1Obragala8621standardblush–red
Apr 11, 2000McSpadden, JrCaitlinTenroy4121Starkstandardstripe"earlier"–
Aug 13, 2002Bob Black, USHarry Black Gala Kidd's3637International Plant Managementstandardstripe5 wk. later–
Apr 29, 2003BanningBanning GalaImperialstandardstripe–intense red blush, darker stripe
Jan 6, 2004SmithSmith galaTenroy4121standardstripe–yellow
May 4, 2004WeaverWeaverFulford7589Adams County Nurserymore compactblush–bright red
Jan 4, 2005LigonniereDalitogaImperialSNC Elarisstandardstripe3 wk.yellow
Aug 15, 2006BurkittBurkitt GalaTenroy4121BMA Truststandardstripe10 d.completely red
Feb 26, 2008McDonaldEl NiñoRoyal4121standardintense dark red stripebright red
Jul 8, 2008McLaughlinMcLaughlin Gala, BlondeeKidd's3637standardno striping or blush4—6 d.yellow
Dec 30, 2008G. E. Fankhauser, AustraliaAlvniaGalaFankhauserstandardstripes"earlier"red, > 95A% coverage
Apr 14, 2009A. Richard, FranceGalavalGalaxy Gala6955Pepinieres du Valoisstandardblush–intense dark purple brown
Sept 28, 2010M. Julien, FranceJugalaMitchgla Gala5 d.USPP 21315
Aug 14, 2012S. Buck, New ZealandPremier StarImperial GalaUSPP 22949
Jul 22, 2014R. Wyle, USFoxtrotTenroy Galaearlier ripeningmore intensely redUSPP 24664
Apr 7, 2015S. Perathoner, ItalyGala ParathonerMitchgla Galastripeslight and dark stripes 95–100%USPP 25407
Jan 24, 2017A. Gruber-Genetti, ItalyGala Schnico RedGala Schnitzer Scinga100% dark redUSPP 27577
May 9, 2017A. Defrancesschi, ItalyGala 2013Gala100% purple-redUSPP 27978
Jan 23, 2018L. Fabre, FranceGalafabGalaRed 90–100%USPP 28885
Dec 25, 2018Brisset, FranceGala SurfGalaVery dark purple redUSPP 30009
May 21, 2019J. Braun, ItalyGalaMicGalaDeep purpleUSPP 30512

Unpatented varieties

Namemutated fromyear and country
Auvil
Imperial Gala
Ultima Gala Imperial Gala1997 US

File:Südtiroler Apfel g.g.A Gala.jpg|thumb|Gala apple from South Tyrol, Italy, with protected-origin sticker.