|
| Name |
Malus
x Robusta - Red Sentinel - Crab Apple |
| Cultivation |
Some crab apples are used as rootstocks for domestic apples to add beneficial
characteristics. For example, Siberian crab rootstock is often used to
give additional cold hardiness to the combined plant for orchards in cold
northern areas. They are also used as pollenizers in apple orchards. Varieties
of crab apple are selected to bloom contemporaneously with the apple variety
in an orchard planting, and the crabs are planted every sixth or seventh
tree, or limbs of crab are grafted onto some of the apple trees. In emergencies
a bucket or drum bouquet of crab apple flowering branches are placed near
the beehives as orchard pollenizers. |
| Family |
Rosaceae |
| Genus |
Malus
is a genus of about 30-35 species of small deciduous trees or shrubs in
the family Rosaceae, including the domesticated Orchard or Table Apple. |
| Synonyms |
|
| Known
Hazards |
|
| Range |
|
| Height |
Apple
trees are small, typically 4-12 m tall at maturity, with a dense, twiggy
crown. |
| Habitat |
All
very cold hardy. Most like full sun and are tolerant of a wide range of
soil conditions. |
| Characteristics |
The
leaves are 3-10 cm long, alternate, simple, with a serrated margin. The
flowers are borne in corymbs , and have five petals, which may be white,
pink or red, and are perfect, with usually red stamens that produce copious
pollen, flowering occurs in the spring after 50-80growing days. Pretty,
pink-tinged, white flowers in late spring, followed by masses of glossy,
cherry-red fruit. This pollution tolerant crab apple is an ideal ornamental
tree for a small, sunny, urban, site. Birds permitting, the scarlet fruit
remain on the tree right through to January, making it the star of the
winter garden. |
| Edible
Uses |
The
fruit of the crabapple species is not an important crop, being extremely
sour and (in some species) woody, and is rarely eaten raw for this reason.
However, crabapples are extra rich in pectin, and their juice can be made
into a ruby-coloured jelly with a full, spicy flavour. A small percentage
of crab apples in cider makes a more interesting flavour. |
| Medicinal
Uses |
An
Apple a day Keeps the Doctor Away! (So they say!) |
| Other
Uses |
|
| Propagation |
Apples
require cross-pollination between individuals by insects (typically bees,
which freely visit the flowers for both nectar and pollen); all are self-sterile,
and self-pollination is impossible making pollinating insects essential.
The honeybee is the most effective pollinator of apples. Malus species,
including domestic apples, hybridise freely. |
| Cultivars |
Crabapple
fruit are mostly red, but some, such as the cultivar 'Golden Hornet', are
yellow Crabapples are widely grown as ornamental trees, grown for their
beautiful flowers or fruit, with numerous cultivars selected for these qualities
and for resistance to disease. |
|
|
|
|