Empire’ is a cross between ‘McIntosh’ and ‘Red Delicious’. The result is a crisp, medium-sized apple with dark, red-blushed skin and cream flesh that is sweet with a slightly tart flavor. Get ready for a bountiful harvest of quality fruit in mid September! A good disease resistant apple that bears young and reliably even in hot summer climates. Makes a good pollinator for ‘Winesap’,’Gravenstein’ and ‘Jonagold’. A tasty, fresh-eating apple with a good storage life.