Crab Apple

This native deciduous relative of the culinary apple has a widespreading canopy, shiny oval leaves and a gnarled appearance.

It prefers moist but well-drained soil, in sun or partial shade, and can reach a mature height of 10 metres (32 feet), although smaller varieties are available.

Sweet-smelling pink-tinged blossoms form in spring, providing much-needed food for pollinators, and then transform into small crab apples in late summer, which are too sour to eat raw but can be made into a tangy and delicious crab apple jelly.

They also provide vital winter food for a number of birds and small mammals.