Red Jonaprince sport vs Jonagold
Dear Maureen, I am no horticulturist but I see that Red Jonaprince is a different derivative of its two forebears, certainly different in colour and maybe in bite and flavour? Can you pls assure me on these points? I am after a tree which will yield the same as the commercial Jonagold prevalent in the shops until a couple of years ago. Regards, John
Asked by: John from Cumbria, 07-Jan-2022
Hi John
Red Jonaprince is a "sport" of Jonagold. As such it is not a derivative or descendant of Jonagold - it is genetically identical. However the skin colour is a deeper red.
Sports usually arise from natural bud mutations found in commercial orchards, and may take a variety of forms, but improved skin colour is the most common. Sports are often preferred by commercial growers because they are more attractive to consumers.
The vast majority of apples sold in supermarkets are invariably sports of the original variety. Varieties like Braeburn and Gala have numerous sports, but the apples are usually sold under the original variety name. In a few cases the sport becomes known in its own right - Royal Gala is perhaps the best example.