Generalizations to keep in mind:

* Low chill varieties such as Anna and Dorsett Gold are not adapted to the Hill  Country.  Plant recommended medium to med-high chill varieties.

* Red varieties ripened under our summer heat (July-September) seldom develop full red color.  Depending on the market scheme, this can be a hindrance to selling traditional red varieties.

* Spur-type varieties are more compact than non-spur varieties.  Combinations of dwarfing rootstocks plus spur-type varieties will result in much smaller trees than the same rootstock with a non-spur variety.  Keep this in mind when selecting varieties and choosing tree spacing.

Fuji-  Developed in Japan.  Introduced in 1962.  Cross between Ralls Janet x Delicious. Bloom well.  Hard to thin.  High quality apple with a poor appearance.  Medium sized fruit with a tall, rectangular shape.  A yellow-green skin with orange to red stripes.  Crisp, juicy, white flesh with good texture.  Requires about 140-160 days from bloom to harvest.  Ripens mid-summer.  Stores well.  Vigorous, productive, somewhat bushy tree.  Needs some annual detailed pruning.  Needs pollinator.  Susceptible to Bitter rot and red mites.  Heat resistant.  Requires 400-600 hours of chilling.

Gala-  Originated in 1965.  Cross between Golden Delicious x Cox's Orange.  Red striping on golden skin gives a red orange color.  Crisp, dense, aromatic flesh.  Excellent quality.  Stores well.  Large, vigorous tree.  Some self-fertile characteristics, but should be pollinated with Mollies Delicious or Smoothie.  Requires about 140-160 days from bloom to harvest.  Requires at least 600 hours of chilling.

Imperial Gala-  Medium sized, oval to round reddish orange fruit.  Extremely firm, very juicy, sweet, mildly aromatic, yellow flesh.  Vigorous tree with long, pliant branching.

Royal Gala-  Developed in New Zealand.  Matures to a bright overall red color rather than the orange red blush of Gala.  Medium size, conical to round fruit.  Bold red stripes over yellow background.  Firm, juicy, fine textured, yellow-white flesh.  Sweet, slightly tart flavor.  Compact growth habit, prolific bearer.  Requires heavy thinning to maintain fruit size and prevent biennial bearing.

Granny Smith-  Originated in 1868 from some discarded apples which Mrs. Thomas Smith of Eastwood Ryde, Paramatta Rive, New South Wales, Australia brought from Tasmania.  Medium to large, waxy, grassy-green fruit. Firm and bruise resistant.  Hardy, crisp, juicy, white flesh.  Fairly sweet with a somewhat tart taste.  Excellent quality eating and cooking apple.  Keeps good texture during baking, never gets mushy.  Excellent shelf life.  Very vigorous, annual bearing.  Good productivity.  Self-fertile.  Requires about 170-210 days from bloom to harvest.  Holds well in heat.  Requires about 500-600 hours of chilling.  Hardy in zones 5-8.

Mollies Delicious- Introduced in 1966.  Summer apple not to be confused with Red Delicious strains.  Attractive, large fruit with unique, slightly conic shape.  Light yellow background about half covered with a red blush.  High quality flesh.  Good flavor.  Stores for about 10 weeks in refrigeration.  Vigorous, productive tree.  Fruit tends to set in clusters, requiring 2-3 pickings.  Excellent pollinator.  Some disease resistance.  Requires 400-500 hours of chilling.  Best in zones 6-8.

Mutsu (Crispin)-  Developed in Japan in 1948.  Golden Delicious x Indo.  Large, round, yellow fruit.  Crunchier flesh; more juice and tartness.  Distinctive, delicate, spicy flavor.  Good dessert and processing apple.  Excellent for applesauce and cider.  Large, spreading, vigorous tree; reliable.  Resistant to powdery mildew.  Susceptible to scab,blister spot, and bitter rot.  Requires 500-600 hours of chilling.  Hardy in zones 4-8.

Pink Lady-  A cross between Golden Delicious and Lady Williams from the Western Australian apple-breeding program.  Oblong, green fruit turns yellow at maturity and is overlaid with pink or light red.  Fine-grained, white flesh.  Thin skin, bruises easily.  Hard to train.  Ripens in October.  Blind wood problems.  Chilling requirements similar to Granny Smith (500-600).

Smoothie-  A Golden Delicious type apple with a clear skin.  They have a very tender complexion, a little dew on the fruit in the morning and they are covered with russet.  This visually makes them an undesired fruit, but if given a chance, taste good.