Malus sylvestris
| Malus sylvestris | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 4 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 33' |
| Blooms: | Late Spring |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Shelter | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Malus sylvestris (common name: crab apple)
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, including heavy ones, preferring a moisture retentive well-drained loamy soil[3][4][1]. Prefers a sunny position but succeeds in partial shade though it fruits less well in such a situation[5][1].
Fairly tolerant of cutting, it succeeds in a mixed hedgerow[5].
A parent of the cultivated apple[2], it is often used as a rootstock[6].
The fruit is a good wildlife food source, especially for birds[1]. The plant has over 90 associated insect species[7].
Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[1].
Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus[1].
Range: Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to Spain, Greece and S.W. Asia.
Habitat: Woods, scrub and hedges, especially in oak woods, on neutral to calcareous soils[8][9][1].
Edibility: Fruit - raw or cooked[8][10]. Used for jellies, preserves and juices[11]. The flavour improves considerably if the fruit is not harvested until it has been frosted[12]. The fruit is quite variable in size (it is about 2 - 4cm in diameter[1]) and quality. Whilst usually harsh and acid, some forms are quite sweet and can be eaten out of hand[K].
The fruit is rich in pectin and can be used in helping other fruits to set when making jam etc[13][14]. Pectin is also said to protect the body against radiation[15].
An edible oil can be obtained from the seed[16]. It would only really be viable to use these seeds as an oil source if the fruit was being used for some purpose such as making cider and then the seeds could be extracted from the remaining pulp[K].
A very pleasant tea can be made from the leaves[17].
Medicinal: The fruit is astringent and laxative[16][8]. The crushed fruit pulp can be used as a poultice to heal inflammations or small flesh wounds[17]. The fruit is eaten to obviate constipation[18].
The bark, and especially the root bark, is anthelmintic, refrigerant and soporific[19][18]. An infusion is used in the treatment of intermittent, remittent and bilious fevers[16][18].
The leaves contain up to 2.4% of an antibacterial substance called 'florin'[18]. This inhibits the growth of a number of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria in as low a concentration as 30 ppm[18].
Usage: The fruit is a source of pectin[13][14]. Pectin is used as a thickener in jams etc and as a culture medium in laboratories.
A red to yellow dye is obtained from the bark[20].
The wood is an excellent fuel[21].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Early Fall-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
Also Known As: M. acerba. M. communis sylvestris. Pyrus malus.
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Gordon, A and D Rowe. Seed Manual for Ornamental Trees and Shrubs. 1982.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Beckett, Kenneth and Gillian Beckett. Planting Native Trees and Shrubs. Jarrold, 1979.
- ↑ Tutin, Tom et al.. Flora Europaea. Cambridge University Press, 1964.
- ↑ Baines, Chris. Making a Wildlife Garden.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Launert, Edmund. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn, 1981.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Bryan, John and Coralie Castle. Edible Ornamental Garden. Pitman Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Loewenfeld, Claire and Philippa Back. Britain's Wild Larder. David and Charles.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Brouk, Bohuslav. Plants Consumed by Man. Academic Press, 1975.
- ↑ Allardice, Pamela. A-Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers, 1993.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Chiej, Roberto. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald, 1984.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 Chopra, R. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, 1986.
- ↑ Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
- ↑ Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ Ahrendt, Leslie. Berberis and Mahonia. Journal of the Linnean Society, 1961.