Thank you so much for this great and informative episode, Susan! For the last five years I have been trying to find any nursery across southern Ontario that offers our native apple (I’m based in Toronto) but still no luck!! (Wellington County isn’t offering their trees to non-residents, unfortunately.) I think it’s important to bring back such a beautiful tree, especially when it has been mostly wiped out across the landscape since European arrival and threatened with hybridisation.
I know this video is a year old, but it is very helpful! I have been living down the street from some wild crabbapples and this year I harvested seeds that I'm going to try and grow this year. after the put on some size I am going to see if I can get it DNA tested. I have my assumptions that is may be a native, North American apple. Hopefully I have some success growing these, both for wildlife and becausethe mother plant seems ill.. I even plan on asking the landowner permission to adopt it since they didn't even notice it was there! I'm in Ohio by the way.
Before crab apples are ripe they do taste sour and bitter. But if you wait until late fall, for about a month, they are quite sweet, with a deep rich flavor. The taste will remind you of granny Smith apples, but a little different and unique.
