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nafex - [NAFEX] Crab Apples as Pollinizers

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  • From: Mauch1@aol.com
  • To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [NAFEX] Crab Apples as Pollinizers
  • Date: Thu, 06 Feb 2003 12:05:13 -0500

I'm not sure that a crabapple needs to be triploid to be
effectively sterile. I have a crabapple that I wasn't sure
was initially an apple. It has quite serrated leaves, often
tri-lobed. It flowers after my one crab is completely done.
It has solid, I'd say almost shell pink or salmon pink flowers
(and buds). The flowers are double or semi-double (and
doubling is often at the expense of anthers). It does set
some large, almost apple size fruit. They might be useful for
cider, but are inedible otherwise (tannic/bitter?). I don't
think that in general this tree, although attractive and a
good bloom time for ornamental purposes (after most other
flowering trees are done), would be a good pollinator. The
picture of Prince Georges (although hard to see) reminds me of
my crab.

Also this link http://www.agric.nsw.gov.au/reader/7215
indicates that honey bees may bypass differently colored
flowers (note that this site is Austrailian and they have only
honey bees and no bumbles.)

The main hort site has some interesting fruit links:
http://www.agric.nsw.gov.au/reader/?MIval=cw_usr_view_Folder&ID=2879



>Hi John,

>Prince Georges crab (image)
>http://www.staubin.com/photocatalog/prncgeor.jpg

>Thanks John, I was looking for a very late pollinizor crab, >no fruit is an
>added bonus.

>Later,
>Tom

>Another things that I'm not sure of is: are the pretty >ornamental crabapples
>triploid, and therefore no good as pollenizers?

>i.e. if you have a beautiful crabapple tree that produces no >fruit, is the
>pollen fertile?









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