Can an Australian Doper tell me if any of the varieties of fruiting crabapples (genus Malus) grow in Australia? Are you all familiar with, or do you use their fruit?
Granny Smith apples originated from crabapples in Australia, so we certainly have them. Whether they are that exact variety I don;t know but they certainly exist here.
Certainly we have crabapples, I’ve bought crabapple jelly from old lady stalls on a number of occasions. They’re extremely popular flowering trees for smaller gardens.
There’s a list of some of the Malus here, but I’m sure there are more available at specialist nurseries.
http://www.flemings.com.au/new/ornamentals/pages/search.asp?type=tree
Thanks for the replies! I was thinking of sending an Australian Doper some of the jelly, amongst some other American sweets, and I wasn’t sure if the tree was widespread at all, or perhaps known by a different name.
They are lovely aren’t they, in the spring when they blossom? My mother makes jelly, and the pulp left makes the most excellent pink tinged applesauce. And I make apple wine, with the directions saying to use one pound of crabapples to nine pounds of regular apples, for extra flavor.