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John Downie crab apple trees

Malus
  • Self-fertility: Self-fertile
  • Blossom colour: White
  • Fruit colour: Orange / Red
  • Awards: RHS AGM (former) 1999
John Downie is a traditional crab apple for making crab apple jelly. White blossom and orange-red fruits.
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John Downie crab apple trees for sale

Pot-grown

All pot-grown trees are suitable for planting out in the garden, some are suitable for growing in containers.

  • PG12-year 12L pot-grown tree Semi-vigorous rootstock £59.00
    Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years)

Bare-root

  • BR11-year bare-root tree Semi-vigorous rootstock SALE £32.75(was £36.95)
    Large tree (3m-5m after 10 years)
    Out of stock
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  • BR21-year bare-root tree M25 rootstock £44.00
    Very large tree (4m-7m after 10 years)
    Out of stock
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Next deliveries

Order now for delivery from week commencing 29th April where these items are showing as in stock.

Delivery charges

Delivery for a single tree starts at £9.95. It is calculated when you add trees to your basket, based on your postcode.

JJohn Downie is one of the most popular crab-apples in the UK, featuring traditional white blossom and very attractive bright orange-red fruitlets, with a distinctive upside-down pear shape.

It is perhaps the definitive variety for making crab apple jelly, which will usually be a pale pink colour.

It grows with a more upright habit than most other crab-apple varieties, and will fit in a relatively small space.

How to grow

John Downie is not as disease resistant as most other crab apple varieties as it can be somewhat prone to apple scab (although this does not affect the cooking quality of the fruit), however it is still easy to grow.

It grows in a more upright style than most crab apple varieties.

 

Advice on fruit tree pollination.

History

John Downie was raised in the 1870s by Edward Holmes, a nurseryman from Lichfield, England. He named it after his friend and fellow nurseryman John Downie.

John Downie characteristics

Growing

  • Gardening skillAverage
  • Self-fertilitySelf-fertile
  • Flowering group4
  • Pollinating othersGood

Using

  • Picking seasonLate
  • CroppingGood
  • Food usesCulinary

Problems

  • Disease resistancePoor

Identification

  • Country of originUnited Kingdom
  • Period of origin1850 - 1899
  • Blossom colourWhite
  • Fruit colourOrange / Red
  • AwardsRHS AGM (former)