Malus fusca
| Malus fusca | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 6 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 39' |
| Speed: | Slow |
| Blooms: | Late Spring |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Shelter | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Malus fusca (common name: oregon crab)
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame. It usually germinates in late winter. Stored seed requires stratification for 3 months at 1°c and should be sown in a cold frame as soon as it is received[1]. It might not germinate for 12 months or more. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle. If given a rich compost they usually grow away quickly and can be large enough to plant out in late summer, though consider giving them some protection from the cold in their first winter. Otherwise, keep them in pots in a cold frame and plant them out in late spring of the following year.
Cuttings of mature wood, November in a frame[2].
Cultivation: An easily grown plant, it succeeds in most fertile soils, preferring a moisture retentive well-drained loamy soil[3][1]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Prefers a sunny position but succeeds in partial shade, though it fruits less well in such a situation[1].
A very ornamental plant[3], it is slow-growing in the wild[4].
Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[1].
The fruit is a good wildlife food source, especially for birds[1].
Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[1].
Range: Western N. America - Alaska to California.
Habitat: Moist woods, stream banks, swamps and bogs in deep rich soils[5][6], usually occurring in dense pure thickets[4].
Edibility: Fruit - raw or cooked[2][7]. Up to 2cm in diameter[4]. An agreeable sub-acid taste, it can be eaten out of hand or made into jellies, preserves etc[8]. The fruit can be left on the tree until there have been some autumn frosts, this will soften the fruit and make it somewhat less acid[K]. The fruit is rich in pectin so it can be added to pectin-low fruits when making jams or jellies[8][9]. Pectin is also said to protect the body against radiation[10].
Medicinal: Oregon crab was employed medicinally by several native North American Indian tribes who used it to treat a variety of complaints[9]. In particular, it gained a reputation with some tribes as a heal-all, especially useful for treating any of the internal organs[9]. It is little, if at all, used in modern herbalism.
The trunk, bark and inner bark are antirheumatic, astringent, blood purifier, cardiac, diuretic, laxative and tonic[9]. A decoction has been used in the treatment of coughs, stomach ulcers, dysentery, diarrhoea, rheumatism and consumption[9]. The shredded bark has been used to treat blood spitting[9]. A poultice of the chewed bark has been applied to wounds[9]. An infusion of the bark is used as an eyewash[9]. a decoction of the bark is used as a wash on cuts, eczema and other skin problems[9].
An infusion of the bark, combined with wild cherry bark (Prunus sp.) has been used as a cure-all tonic[9].
The juice scraped from the peeled trunk has been used as an eye medicine[9].
The soaked leaves have been chewed in the treatment of lung problems[9].
Usage: The fruit is a source of pectin[8].
Wood - hard, close grained, durable. Used for mallets, tool handles and bearings[2][6][11][7][12].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay soils.
Known Hazards: All members of this genus contain the toxin hydrogen cyanide in their seeds and possibly also in their leaves, but not in their fruits. Hydrogen cyanide is the substance that gives almonds their characteristic taste but it should only be consumed in very
Also Known As: M. rivularis.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Elias, Thomas. The Complete Trees of North America. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1980.
- ↑ Hitchcock, Leo. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press, 1955.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Sargent, Charles. Manual of the Trees of North America. Dover, 1965.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Turner, Nancy. Edible Wild Fruits and Nuts of Canada. National Museum of Natural Sciences, 1978.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ 9.00 9.01 9.02 9.03 9.04 9.05 9.06 9.07 9.08 9.09 9.10 9.11 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ Allardice, Pamela. A-Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers, 1993.
- ↑ Turner, Nancy. Plants in British Columbian Indian Technology. British Columbia Provincial Museum, 1979.
- ↑ Lauriault, Jean. Identification Guide to the Trees of Canada. Fitzhenry and Whiteside, 1989.