Malus hupehensis
| Malus hupehensis | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 4 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 23' |
| Width: | 23' |
| Blooms: | Mid Spring-Late Spring |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Shelter | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Malus hupehensis (common name: chinese 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].
Plants usually produce seed apomictically (a method that does not involve sexual fusion, so the seedlings are clones of the parent) and therefore they breed true to type[2][1].
A very ornamental plant[3]. The flowers are sweetly scented[4].
The fruit is a good wildlife food source, especially for birds.
Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[1].
Range: E. Asia - China, Japan.
Habitat: Mixed forests, slopes and valley thickets from sea level to 2900 metres[5].
Edibility: Fruit - raw or cooked[6][7]. Up to 1 cm in diameter[1], it has a sour taste[8].
The leaves are a tea substitute[2][9][6]. Palatable and thirst quenching, it is much used in China and leaves are exported from Shasi for this purpose[8].
Usage: A vigorous branching tree, it makes a good windbreak[4].
This species is used as stock to graft apple trees in Hubei and Sichuan[5].
Pollinators: Insects, apomixy
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Wind: Tolerates strong winds
Seed Ripens: Mid Fall
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
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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 Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Flora of China. 1994.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.