Gano Apple

Malus domestica 'Gano'

Gano is an old-time apple that ripens in late September.  The fruit is handsome, medium large with reddish-purple striping over a light yellow-red flushed skin.  The flesh is whitish, firm, crisp and juicy, with  a brisk sub-acid flavor.  It stores well.

Alternate Names:  Mesa Red, Jacks Red, Ozark, Payton, Reagan, Red Ben Davis, Black Ben Davis, Ozark Reagan.

Gano has many other names, but it is believed to have originated in either Kentucky or Missouri and spread around the middle west and Blue Ridge Mountain area in the late 19th- early 20th centuries.  It was very popular at one time.

Many heirloom varieties have some natural resistance to apple scab and other diseases, since they were often discovered and grown well before fruit growers started to use chemicals for disease control.  However, you may still want to be vigilant about fire blight, apple scab, and other fungal diseases and spray when the need arises.  Protect from insect damage like normal.