Crabs-the name of the garden group of decorative Apple trees. It was known to our gardeners, at least, at the end of the XIX century. In America, all these varieties are very popular, and there they are very diverse. In the spring, these trees are buried in the sea of countless beautiful, large, sometimes Terry and always fragrant flowers of different shades of white and red, and in the fall have a very elegant look thanks to the generous harvest of edible apples of all shapes, sizes and sometimes the brightest and most brilliant colors.
How difficult it is to distinguish what is beautiful and what is delicious, pulling out of the syrup leg transparent Apple in which the seeds Shine through. Still, the main that can be attributed to cream is the splendor flowering. And how many more purely decorative varieties elude our attention, not to mention the truly wild, species of Apple trees, the most beautiful of which also fall into this group.
What are crabs
Of course, the most spectacular varieties with double, usually pink flowers. Fruit is often weak. These are ‘American Beauty’, ‘Coralcole’, ‘Hillieri’, ‘Catherine’ — rich in red apples, fruit-bearing ‘Kelsey’ and ‘Makamik’, ‘Pink Perfection’, ‘Prince George’, white ‘Snowcloud’, ‘Van Esseltine’ with yellow apples.
But no less remarkable and simple white varieties (‘Dartmouth’,’ John Downie’,’ Red Sentinel’, fruitless’Spring Snow’). And the size of the flower can reach 5 cm in diameter (‘Evereste’, ‘Van Esseltine’).
There are among crabs high — almost 10 m-trees (Apple berry, ‘hole’) and outstretched shrubs — up to 2 m tall (Apple Sargent, ‘Tina’). Crohn may be narrow, elongated upwards as possible for Apple (‘Big River’, ‘Pink spirits’), spreading and very weeping (‘Elise Rathke’, ‘Red Jade’, ‘Echtermeyer’, ‘Royal Beauty’).
The size of an Apple is usually about 2.5 cm in diameter, but may be larger in ‘Dolgo’, ‘John Downie’, ‘Kerr’, ‘Red Sentinel’, ‘Rescue’, ‘Rosybrook’. Common and very small apples-about 1 cm in diameter. The main color of the fruit is red, but there are orange (‘Butterball’, ‘John Downie’) and yellow (‘Harvest Gold’, ‘Wintergold’). The fruits can be stored for a long time on the tree even after the snow falls, giving pleasure to flying birds.
Finally, the sheet is not always standard – oval. Some species and varieties have blades on the leaf (‘Charlottae’, ‘Evereste’, ‘Red Profusion’).
Often manifested and such a sign, and characteristic of many wild Apple trees as reddish foliage, especially in the spring, in combination with pink flowers (‘Adams’, ‘Fuchsia Girl’, ‘Liset’, ‘Prairifire’, ‘Profusion’, ‘Radiant’, ‘Royalty’, ‘Rudolph’, ‘Thunderchild’, ‘Selkirk’, ‘Strathmore’). Sometimes autumn staining (‘Klehm’s Bechtel Improved’, Apple Twill).
What are crabs in terms of botany
There will be used a lot of names. After all, Apple trees about 30 species, and their classification-one of the most confusing.
Distinguish between M. domestica and M. sylvestris. Home everyone knows and loves, but it is in its own way-in the form of the most beloved varieties. Indeed, the view of this Assembly, described by cultural instances, brings together hybrid forms, leading the origin from different wild Apple trees. Common depressed from twigs and slightly flattened fruit that pinched pleats at the top and decorated with remains of calyx, like a crown; culture (though there are wild specimens, grown from stumps); downy large leaves with rough, uneven cutting edge.
And here is have the forest, which lives in European forests, leaf rounded and naked, there is thorns. Flowers few, fruit 2-2. 5 cm in diameter, green, sometimes with a reddish sideways. It is adjacent to M. orientalis from the Caucasus and the mountain-Apple tree from Central Asia.
Large fruits of Asians, leaf shape and roughness of branches bring them closer to the cultivated Apple trees and give rise to the suspicion that here we need to look for their ancestors. In Western taxonomy all the above plants are combined into one species – M. pumila.
An Asian characteristic red anthocyanin colour is especially obvious on young shoots, pink and white flowers and apples, beet color. Especially pronounced are these signs in the well-known in horticultural circles M. niedzwetzkyana, until recently, perhaps, our only crab, which was held for beautiful flowers.
The red influence of Apple can be seen in many old hybrids, the first of which was ‘Hopa’ with large purple flowers, obtained from Apple berry in 1920, he initiated a large group of Rosaceae hybrids, in particular ‘Eleyi’, ‘Lemoinei’, ‘Liset’. In addition to anthocyanin, M. pumila offers for the selection of double flowers, bushy and weeping shape of the crown. And sometimes-reduced winter hardiness, instability to diseases and excessive finesse in relation to soil fertility and irrigation.
Apple trees of Siberia and East Asia differ in small, smooth and round, like beads, fruits in bunches with a completely falling Cup. As independent kinds that are allocated, there are no such Apple-trees, as Pallas, or Siberian, Manchurian.
Much more often grown clearer and more peculiar species from China and Japan, most of the cultural origin:
- M. spectabilis with shiny hard leaves and large, up to 5 cm in diameter;
- M. floribunda with pink flowers and very small red apples;
- M. toringo, which includes former representatives of M. sieboldii with yellow fruits, has a bushy and tree-shaped;
- M. toringoides with small flowers, interesting in fruits, and close to her M. transitoria, characterized by grace and deeply cut leaves;
- M. sargentii, always growing as a low shrub;
- M. halliana with very small oval fruits on long legs;
- M. hupehensis with a crown in the form of a wide bowl.
These types of offer breeders the interesting shape of the crowns and good disease resistance. Some of them could pass their hybrids lobed leaves and a good autumn color.
Great contribution to the selection made M. sieboldii, better known in culture as M. x zumi = M. baccata x M. sieboldii-low, often bushy tree with slightly lobed leaves, rosebuds and fruits – red beads. It is widely used in the development of complex modern hybrids.
But in this group M. baccata is the undisputed leader in the selection of crabs.
It has finely toothed bare leaves on long stalks, white flowers (up to 8 pieces in umbrellas) and fruit-beads up to 1 cm in diameter, both red and yellow. This Apple tree is not only in itself a true crab, but also participated in the breeding of many hybrid ornamental varieties, awarding them excellent winter hardiness.
Her offspring, grown in the gardens of China-M. x prunifolia, resembles a parent, but her Apple carries a non – falling crown – the rest of the Cup in memory of the second ancestor-M. pumila. Has valuable for breeding forms of the crown: weeping and columnar. Very popular crab, thanks to good winter hardiness. Many varieties are derived from the reverse crossing of the Chinese with the parent species. It is purely decorative ‘Yellow Siberian’ and ‘Red Siberian’.
Although the basis for crabs served as Apple trees of the Old World, imported to America, the natives were also attracted. First of all-M. coronaria. Her small greenish–yellow apples suitable for jam. The flowers are late, white and pink, with a strong aroma, and the leaves, especially on long shoots, often have blades.
It is the beneficiary of the direct – semi-double pink cultivar ‘Charlottae’.
A great contribution to the creation of crabs made M. ioensis, whose leaves are dense, with felt lining and strongly pronounced blades. Especially valuable for breeding were its Terry forms, including fringed petals, as well as high winter hardiness. For example, her descendant — Terry pale pink ‘Klehm’s Bechtel’ with lobed leaves.
Agricultural crabs not differ from conventional Apple trees. They have the same ailments and absurd quirks like periodicity. With regard to disease resistance and winter hardiness, canadian varieties are preferable to European varieties; long lists can be found on the relevant sites.
Of course, reliable “Paradise apples”. Almost all of these Apple trees should be winter-hardy. Except that ‘Echtermeyer’, ‘Eleyi’, ‘Evereste’, ‘Lemoinei’, ‘Liset’, ‘Profusion’ can be too whimsical.