Castle Howard Arboretum Trust - Furniture Makers Trees

Botanical name: Malus sylvestris

Family: Rosaceae

Common Name: Crab Apple

Habitat and Distribution:

Native of Europe, throughout British Isles except Northern Scotland. Common in Oak woods and hedgerows. Rarely cultivated but undoubtedly a parent of orchard apples.

Description:

Low round-crowned deciduous tree, up to 10 m (33 ft) tall; stems more or less thorny, heavily pubescent when young; leaves clustered on pubescent spur branches, ovate, elliptical or suborticular, crenate or serrate, cordate or rounded at base, 3–15 cm long, 2.5–5.5 cm wide, shortly apiculate.

Flowers appear in May on spurs in clusters along the fruiting section of the branch, white or pink, 3–4 cm in diameter; sepals 3–7 mm long. The pale green fruits are borne in autumn and become flushed or speckled red when ripe.

Timber:

The wood is hard, close grained and pinkish gold in colour.

Uses:

Today it is frequently used as a craft wood for turning and carving with a limited amount for veneers and inlay work.

In the past it has been used for country furniture, when it was mixed with other timbers such as Pear and commonly called fruitwood. Old style cottage doors were often made from Apple wood.

Historically it has been used for tool handles and pipes as it polishes naturally with use.

It is good for mallet heads and has found a limited application in skittle balls.

It is a good firewood, with a pleasant aroma.

The attractive small fruit are extremely sour but make good jelly by themselves or with blackberries or rowan berries.

Crab Apple wine is reported to be potent.

Location within the arboretum:

The tree can be found in the old entrance gate area, about half way along by the turreted wall

Furniture Makers Trees at The Arboretum - Kew at Castle Howard

In folk medicine all parts of the tree have been used:-

The fruit is said to be a remedy for bilious ailments, cacoethes, cancer, catarrh, diabetes, dysentery, fever, flux, heart, malaria, pertussis, scurvy, spasm, thirst, and warts.

The root and bark are considered anthelmintic, hypnotic, and refrigerant.

A bark infusion has been used to treat bilious ailments, intermittent and remittent fevers.

Also apple leaves contain an antibacterial substance called phloretin, which is active in concentrations as low as 30 ppm.

Seed; in large quantities can cause cyanide poisoning. Also causes abdominal pain, vomiting, lethargy, sweating