New WA apple will be called Sunflare, WSU announces at event in Yakima

YAKIMA – Washington State University announced the name for its new apple Tuesday morning at the Northwest Horticulture Expo in Yakima.

The apple, a cross between Honeycrisp and Cripps Pink previously known as WA 64, will be called Sunflare. The name was picked from more than 15,000 responses to a public naming contest.

A news release from WSU said Sunflare was a memorable name that highlighted the apple’s appearance – a pink blush on a yellow background. The apple combines the crisp and juicy aspects of the Honeycrisp with the firmness and flavor from Cripps Pink, also known as Pink Lady.

Ryan Escarcega, a Centralia, Washington, resident and chef, came up with the winning name. In WSU’s release, Escarcega said he was inspired by solar storms that made the northern lights visible in the Pacific Northwest this year.

The name was chosen by WSU staff and several focus groups. Escarcega won a box of Sunflare apples and several other WSU-themed prizes.

Sunflare apples will hit store shelves in 2029. It takes time for the apple to be distributed and then grown in Washington orchards.

Like the Cosmic Crisp apple, which WSU launched in 2019, Sunflare apples will be a Washington exclusive and grown only in-state for a period of time. WSU researchers first began crossbreeding to create the Sunflare in 1998.