John Downie crab apple trees

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• 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

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