Crab-apple-flower
The only Crab Apple cultivar recommended for culinary use is ‘John Downie’.
This tree (Latin name – Malus John Downie) produces large, rich orange
and red fruit with a good flavour, which are wonderful for making
preserves. The fruit of John Downie is unusual because it does not
overwinter on the tree.
John Downie is a vigorous tree producing masses of cup-shaped, white
flowers opening from pale pink buds in late spring. Upright becoming
conical with age it makes an excellent ornamental tree for a small,
urban garden. It flowers best when situated in full sun.
crab-apple-tree
Apart from John Downie, the best flavoured crab apples are wild hedgerow
forms. Good ones can be propagated from cuttings, and even grafted!
Seedlings are likely to be useless.
The best time to plant a crab apple tree is in the winter months of
November, December, January or February. The Crab Apple to plant for a
good flavoured fruit is the cultivar ‘John Downie’.
