Sunnybrook

(Heyer X Morden)

Sunnybrook originated at the Alberta Horticulture Research Centre, Brooks, Alberta, selected and tested as BA #44, and released in 1980. The tree is vigorous, upright rounded, with somewhat pendulous branching and annually productive. Because of its long thin branches and spreading growth habit this tree is a good candidate for espalier, but we have not tried that yet. It is hardy to zone 2a and moderately resistant to fire blight.

The fruit is medium size, 6.0-7.0 cm (2.5 - 2.75") in diameter, round, with a wide abrupt often wrinkled basin and small core, and ripens in mid September. The skin is thin, greenish yellow base, overlaid with red stripes. The flesh is cream-colored, moderately coarse, crisp, juicy, slightly acid but sweet and highly susceptible to water core. It is fair to good for fresh eating, good for cooking and stores well for about 4 weeks. Some summers this has been a very pleasant eating apple, in other years it seems rather bitter, possibly because we didn't harvest it as soon as we should have.