Bicolored Royal Gala Apples: A Rare Natural Mutation

What You’re Seeing

The apple in the photo shows a striking two-tone coloration—half red, half yellow—on a Royal Gala. This is a somatic mutation (bud sport), not a disease or pest issue.

How Common Is It?

Such mutations occur in less than 1–2% of Gala-type apples. They are unstable and rarely inherited through seeds. Breeders would need to propagate vegetatively (grafting) to preserve the trait, but it’s not commercially pursued.

Can You Grow It from Seed?

Seedlings will not reliably carry the bicolored trait. It would take many years to fruit, and the mutation is almost certainly not transmitted sexually.

Bottom Line

Enjoy the novelty—it’s a harmless, natural quirk. The apple is perfectly edible and reflects the genetic plasticity of the Gala cultivar.