According to the books the wild apple or Crab apple Malus sylvestris is native, common and widespread across all parts of Britain and Ireland. However, I would say that it is much over-recorded as denizen domestic eating apple Malus domestica self-sewn from discarded apple-cores. The domestic apple generally has larger fruits; leaves which are pubescent (minute hairs) on the underside, with a shorter stalk; and not spiny. Whereas, this, our wild Crab apple is a bushier, much-branched tree; spiny twigs; and smaller leaves on longer stalks. The bark on older trees also breaks-up into thin squarish plates.
Notice I didn’t describe the fruits. Generally speaking the true wild Crab apple has fruits yellowish-green with a touch of orange-pink on one side 2-3 cm. And this general form is quite widespread and common throughout the Midlands; Welsh borders; up into Lancashire; and widespread in the New Forest. In our south-west area it is common in Gloucestershire and down into the Bristol area; it tends to become rarer as one moves down into Somerset but for a stronghold in the Bath to Swindon area. Then it virtually disappears down through Dorset, Devon and Cornwall. This is for the yellowish-green 2-3 cm fruits' form. However, Devon has another form of spiny tree with chequered bark, but with apple-green fruits 2-4cm. This form also occurs over the border in Cornwall in at least one location.
What I find perplexing about both forms is that where they occur they tend to reproduce really well, with many trees and saplings occurring in that locality. But for a species that reproduces so well, why are they not everywhere in all districts across the south-west? In my view, speaking as a botanist specialising in trees, these trees in those local frequencies present themselves as a non-native alien denizen, which have been there only for centuries, not thousands of years like a true native. It’s so hard to know what went-on in the past with regards to fruit trees, because humans have most certainly been involved. In my own personal view all apples and pears were introduced into the British Isles, probably on many occasions by different colonising tribes moving into Britain. Maybe, pre-Roman, Roman, Saxon, and Norman periods. For I fail to see how a species albeit yellow or green form can reproduce so well in Cornwall when planted there yet not already be everywhere.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t be planting them in Cornwall, Devon and throughout the south-west. Crab apples have huge value to wildlife, and planting them will not cause any harm to the existing flora. There are all kinds of Crab apple cultivars, with many coloured fruits available from other suppliers. However, we, at Trebrown Nurseries only supply the wild-collected forms. We mainly grow and sell the yellowish-green form with its original provenance of vc34, Gloucestershire. However we usually also grow the green form with provenance of Tamar river, vc2/vc3 Devon or Cornwall. If you want the green ones then please leave us a note with your order.
