Crab apple - Crann fia-úll

The crab apple (Malus sylvestris) is native here and in most of Europe. It can be seen mostly in hedgerows and around old farmsteads; the tree was an integral part of the oakwoods of old. Under the Brehon Laws it was designated a ‘Noble of the Wood' because of the importance of its fruits. Today, the fruits are used for making jelly, wine, cider and vinegar.  Care should be taken to study the crab apple as many of the trees regarded as crabs are garden escapees.

Like cherry, it tends to be a species of the woodland edge, and it never dominates a wood in the same way as the major tree species such as oak. It makes an attractive ornamental tree in the garden and never grows too large; it has pink/white apple blossoms in spring. In autumn it provides a feature as well as a crop.

Crab apples grow true from the pip unlike modern hybrid varieties. Today's apple varieties are derived from the wild crab tree but without the thorns of the native tree. The wood is hard and is used for carving and inlay work; it was formerly used for making printing blocks and the heads of golf clubs. It makes excellent firewood giving a pleasant scent. The tree grows to 15 metres.