Applecrab facts for kids

Applecrabs are special types of fruit trees. They are a mix, or hybrid, between apples and crabapples. People grow them for different reasons. Some applecrabs are very strong against diseases. Others can grow well in cold places. Their fruit often tastes as good as regular apples. Sometimes, a fruit is called an applecrab if it is smaller than 5 centimeters (about 2 inches) across.

Applecrabs for Cold Climates

Long ago, a scientist named William Saunders worked in Canada. He was the director of the Central Experimental Farm. He wanted to grow good-tasting apples in the very cold Canadian prairies. To do this, he mixed regular apple types with tough, winter-hardy crabapple species. This created new applecrab cultivars (types of plants).

Famous Cold-Hardy Applecrabs

Some well-known applecrab types that can handle cold weather include:

• Malus 'Columbia': This came from Saunders' early work. He mixed a Siberian crabapple (M. baccata) with hardy apples.
• Malus 'Kerr': This type was made by mixing a 'Dolgo' crabapple with a 'Haralson' apple.
• Malus 'Osman': Another one from Saunders' early experiments. It also came from mixing M. baccata with hardy apples.
• Malus 'Rescue'
• Malus 'Trailman': This was created by mixing 'Trail' with 'Osman'.

Apples Strong Against Disease

Another important project started at the University of Illinois. A scientist named C.S. Crandall wanted to create apples that could fight off a plant disease called apple scab. Apple scab makes ugly spots on apples and their leaves. He found a special gene, called the VF gene, in the crabapple Malus floribunda. This gene helps plants resist scab.

Scab-Resistant Apples Today

Scientists have continued this work with great success. Many new apples now have the VF Gene and are strong against scab. Some of these special apples include:

• Pristine apple
• Rajka
• Topaz

Applecrabs with Red Flesh

Some applecrabs are special because their fruit has red or pink flesh inside. This interesting trait comes from a wild crabapple called Malus niedzwetzkyana. This red-fleshed crabapple can still be found in places like Siberia.

Red-Fleshed Apples in History

Modern plant breeders have used Malus niedzwetzkyana to create apples with red leaves, red flowers, and red fruit.

• One example is the Surprise apple. It has pink flesh. German immigrants brought it to the United States around 1840.
• Later, a plant expert named Albert Etter used the 'Surprise' apple. He created about 30 new types of apples with pink or red flesh. His most famous one is the Pink Pearl.

Another plant expert, Niels Ebbesen Hansen, found Malus niedzwetzkyana in Kazakhstan in 1897. He started two projects with this unique fruit. One goal was to make a cold-hardy apple for cooking and eating. The other was to create beautiful ornamental crabapples. His work led to apples like the Almata and the Hopa crabapple. Some of these red-fleshed apples are now used to make special pink apple ciders.