# 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. In 2018, it 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.

## Appearance and flavor

Gala apples are non-uniform in color, usually vertically striped or mottled, with an overall orange color. They are 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
Typical size distribution :
| 55–60 mm | 60–65 mm | 65–70 mm | 70–75 mm | 75–80 mm | 80–85 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.

### 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 as | Mutated from | Assignee | Habit | Pattern | Earlier | Color | Plant patent number |
| Feb 20, 2013 | W. Fulford, New Zealand | Regal Gala (Fulford Gala, Gala Must) | Gala | | | | | reddish orange blush over a yellow ground | USPP 3309 |
| Oct 15, 1974 | McKenzie | Gala | – | Stark | standard | partial blush | – | yellow | US plant patent 3637 |
| Oct 4, 1977 | H.W. Ten Hove, New Zealand | Royal Gala, Tenroy | Gala$^{3637}$ | Stark | standard | stripe | – | red | US plant patent 4121 |
| May 10, 1988 | John Creech, US | Scarlet Gala | Kidd's D-8$^{3637}$ | C & 0 | standard | blush | – | scarlet | US plant patent 6172 |
| Aug 1, 1989 | K.W. Kiddle, New Zealand | Galaxy | Tenroy$^{4121}$ | Stark | standard | stripe | earlier | intense red | US plant patent 6955 |
| Dec 18, 1990 | Cooper | Treco Spur Red Gala No. 42, Regal | Auvil | Oregon Rootstock | spur | stripe | – | red | US plant patent 7396 |
| Jul 16, 1991 | Fulford | Fulford | Kidd$^{3637}$ | | standard | blush | – | bright red | US plant patent 7589 |
| Mar 1, 1994 | Olsen | Obrogala, UltraRed | Tenroy$^{4121}$ | Stark | standard | stripe | 2–4 days | redder | US plant patent 8621 |
| Apr 5, 1994 | Waliser, US | Waliser Gala | Tenroy$^{4121}$ | Waliser | standard | stripe | 10 days | bright red | US plant patent 8673 |
| May 10, 1994 | Hill | Applewaites | Kidd's$^{3637}$ | | standard | blush | 2–3 days | more complete red | US plant patent 8720 |
| Nov 5, 1996 | Olsen | Olsentwo Gala, Pacific Gala | Royal Gala$^{4121}$ | | standard | stripe | 5–10 days | distinguishably different | US plant patent 9681 |
| Sep 2, 1997 | Paul Brookfield, New Zealand | Baigent | Royal Gala$^{4121}$ | Brookfield | standard | stripe | extremely early | bright red | US plant patent 10016 |
| Nov 11, 1997 | Gale | Gale Gala | Royal Gala$^{4121}$ | Van Well, US | standard | stripe | 3 weeks | more complete | US plant patent 10114 |
| Jun 23, 1998 | Tina Fackler, US | Big Red Gala | Kidd's$^{3637}$ | Protree | standard | stripe | – | same | US plant patent 10458 |
| Mar 30, 1999 | Simmons | Simmons | Imperial | Peace Valley | standard | stripe | 21 days | brighter red | US plant patent 10840 |
| Jan 18, 2000 | Stiekema | Stiekema 1 | Obragala$^{8621}$ | | standard | blush | – | red | US plant patent 11182 |
| Apr 11, 2000 | McSpadden, Jr | Caitlin | Tenroy$^{4121}$ | Stark | standard | stripe | "earlier" | – | US plant patent 11348 |
| Aug 13, 2002 | Bob Black, US | Harry Black Gala (Autumn Gala) | Kidd's$^{3637}$ | International Plant Management | standard | stripe | 5 wk. later | – | US plant patent 12842 |
| Apr 29, 2003 | Banning | Banning Gala | Imperial | | standard | stripe | – | intense red blush, darker stripe | US plant patent 13753 |
| Jan 6, 2004 | Smith | Smith gala | Tenroy$^{4121}$ | | standard | stripe | – | yellow | US plant patent 14448 |
| May 4, 2004 | Weaver | Weaver | Fulford$^{7589}$ | Adams County Nursery | more compact | blush | – | bright red | US plant patent 14752 |
| Jan 4, 2005 | Ligonniere | Dalitoga | Imperial | SNC Elaris | standard | stripe | 3 wk. | yellow | US plant patent 15465 |
| Aug 15, 2006 | Burkitt | Burkitt Gala | Tenroy$^{4121}$ | BMA Trust | standard | stripe | 10 d. | completely red | US plant patent 17013 |
| Feb 26, 2008 | McDonald | El Niño | Royal$^{4121}$ | | standard | intense dark red stripe | | bright red | US plant patent 18512 |
| Jul 8, 2008 | McLaughlin | McLaughlin Gala, Blondee | Kidd's$^{3637}$ | | standard | no striping or blush | 4—6 d. | yellow | US plant patent 19007 |
| Dec 30, 2008 | G. E. Fankhauser, Australia | Alvnia | Gala | Fankhauser | standard | stripes | "earlier" | red, > 95A% coverage | US plant patent 19604 |
| Apr 14, 2009 | A. Richard, France | Galaval | Galaxy Gala$^{6955}$ | Pepinieres du Valois | standard | blush | – | intense dark purple brown | US plant patent 19909 |
| Sept 28, 2010 | M. Julien, France | Jugala | Mitchgla Gala | | | | 5 d. | | USPP 21315 |
| Aug 14, 2012 | S. Buck, New Zealand | Premier Star | Imperial Gala | | | | | | USPP 22949 |
| Jul 22, 2014 | R. Wyle, US | Foxtrot | Tenroy Gala | | | | earlier ripening | more intensely red | USPP 24664 |
| Apr 7, 2015 | S. Perathoner, Italy | Gala Parathoner | Mitchgla Gala | | | stripes | | light and dark stripes 95–100% | USPP 25407 |
| Jan 24, 2017 | A. Gruber-Genetti, Italy | Gala Schnico Red | Gala Schnitzer Scinga | | | | | 100% dark red | USPP 27577 |
| May 9, 2017 | A. Defrancesschi, Italy | Gala 2013 | Gala | | | | | 100% purple-red | USPP 27978 |
| Jan 23, 2018 | L. Fabre, France | Galafab(Gala Star) | Gala | | | | | Red 90–100% | USPP 28885 |
| Dec 25, 2018 | Brisset, France | Gala Surf | Gala | | | | | Very dark purple red | USPP 30009 |
| May 21, 2019 | J. Braun, Italy | GalaMic | Gala | | | | | Deep purple | USPP 30512 |

#### Unpatented varieties

Unpatented varieties :
| Name | mutated from | year and country |
| Auvil | | |
| Imperial Gala | | |
| Ultima Gala (Banning) | Imperial Gala | 1997 US |

### Descendant cultivars

| Name | Parentage | Cross made | Introduced | Origin |
| Aurora Golden Gala | Splendour x Gala | 1981 | | Canada |
| Bravo | Cripps Red x Royal Gala | 1992 | | Australia |
| Delfloga | (Royal Gala × Florina) | ? | ? |
| Envy(Scilate) | (Royal Gala × Braeburn) | 1985 | | New Zealand |
| Gaia | Gala x A3-7 | | | Italy |
| Galarina | Gala x Florina Querina | 1978 | | France |
| Jazz (Scifresh) | Braeburn x Royal Gala | 1985 | ? | New Zealand |
| Nicoter (Kanzi) | (Gala × Braeburn) | | | Belgium |
| Modi | Gala x Liberty | 1992 | | Italy |
| Monalisa | Gala x Malus 4 | | | Brazil |
| Newson | Gala x Hawkes Bay Red Delicious | 1983 | | Canada |
| Nicola | Splendour x Gala | 1981 | | Canada |
| Sciros (Pacific Rose) | (Splendor × Gala) | | |
| Rubens(Civni) | Elstar x Gala | | | Italy |
| Sweetie ('PremA280') | | | |
| Salish | Splendour x Gala | 1981 | 1997 | Canada |

## Season

Gala apples are grown from May through September in the northern hemisphere, but, like most apples, are available almost all year through the use of cold storage and controlled atmosphere storage. Australian Gala are available from late January. California fruit is available until October. While the season usually lasts only 9 or 10 months, they are able to last all year round. However, due to some apples continuing to be grown in some orchards, and the fact that they can be refrigerated for some months leads to the availability of the Gala apple year-round in some Australian markets. These usually taste different (slightly less sweet) from those in season. The UK season begins in late summer (August). Storage makes the UK fruit available nearly year-round as with fruit from other origins.

## Royal Gala sport

Royal Gala is a Gala sport, patented by Stark in 1977, which produces redder fruits than the original cultivar. It is a pink-red dessert apple and is therefore usually eaten fresh. Royal Galas are usually harvested in early to late February in the southern hemisphere. In New Zealand, the pinker original Gala has almost disappeared as a commercial apple in favor of the darker-skinned Royal Gala.