Latin name: Malus domestica Borkh.
Variety denomination: ‘R205’
‘R205’ is a new and distinct variety of apple tree (Malus domestica Borkh.) obtained from a controlled cross of ‘S.I57’ (female parent, not patented)בHY63-2’ (male parent, not patented) carried out at Seiches-sur-le-Loir, France in 2007. Seeds obtained from the cross were planted at Seiches-sur-le-Loir, and ‘R205’ was selected from the resulting seedlings for propagation and further observation. ‘R205’ was first asexually propagated by grafting at Seiches-sur-le-Loir in 2014, and has since been observed to remain true to type through successive asexually propagated generations.
The ‘R205’ apple tree is distinguished by its fruit, which exhibits attractive dark red (greyed-purple 187A) skin and red and white flesh and is well-suited for fresh consumption. Comparisons of ‘R205’ to its parents and to similar variety ‘R201’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 28,218) are shown in Tables 1, 2 and 3 below.
The accompanying photographs were obtained in 2020 and 2021 at Seiches-sur-le-Loir, France. The bare branches, blossoms and leaves shown are on trees planted in 2015; the fruits shown were grown on trees planted in 2020.
The following detailed botanical description was recorded at Seiches-sur-le-Loir, France during the 2020 and 2021 growing seasons. Descriptions of the tree, blossoms and leaves were recorded from trees planted in 2015 and grown on Pajam®2 ‘Cepiland’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,715) rootstock. Described fruits were grown on trees planted in 2020 and grown on Pajam®2 ‘Cepiland’ rootstock. All colors are described with reference to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (6th ed. 2015, reprinted 2019). It should be understood that the characteristics described will vary somewhat depending upon cultural practices and climatic conditions, and will vary with location and season. Quantified measurements are expressed as an average of measurements taken from a number of individual plants of the new variety. The measurements of any individual plant or any group of plants of the new variety may vary from the stated average.