Flowering Crab Apple

Crab apples are fantastic for providing long seasons of interest from the springtime blossoms right through until winter as the fruits cling to frosty bare branches. John Downie is no exception, widely regarded as one of the finest crabs apples, and definitely the choice if you wish to use the vast amount of autumn fruits for culinary purposes.

This popular crab fruits with great freedom. It produces masses of large white flowers from pink buds in spring. The fragrant flowers may measure as much as 5cm  across and the orange-red fruits are around 3cm  across. They are particularly suitable for making crab apple jelly. (Fruits should be gathered once they have been exposed to frost).

Like most apples this is a robust performer on a range of garden soils. It will do best in a sunny spot but copes well with a little shade. As with all fruit trees give this a mulch early each spring and keep weeds and grass away from the base of the tree to promote strong growth.

Received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit in 2002

Tree Specs

• Common Name: Crab Apple
• Botanical Name:  Malus 'John Downie'
• Mature Height: 5m
• Key Features:
  • Self-pollinating
  • Large fragrant white flowers from red buds
  • Masses of bright orange / red fruit