Malus John Downie Tree

The Malus ‘John Downie’ ticks all the right boxes as the perfect ornamental tree for your garden. It is delightful to look at all year round, it attracts masses of wildlife, requires little maintenance and offers an abundance of delicious crab apples.

In spring, April to May, an abundance of ‘Apple Blossom’ white flowers that open from pink buds adorn the tree. They attract bees and birds, making it a useful pollinator for other apple trees if you are thinking of creating a small orchard in your garden. The foliage of the tree is a mid-green that turns to stunning shades of yellow, bronze and orange in the autumn.

The main feature of the John Downie tree are the fruits which are large, plum-like, red and yellow flushed apples. Unlike normal apples which are round, the fruits tends to have a slightly elongated pear-shape. They mature early in autumn but last well into the winter, keeping the interest going when other plants are stark and bare.

The tree thrives well in fertile, well drained soil. It is upright in shape and fairly narrow, making it ideal for smaller gardens. When it reaches maturity it will arch, reaching an estimated height and spread of 5 x 3 metres in 20 years.

The John Downie is one of the most popular crab apple trees. The apples have a delicious refreshing flavour and a high pectin level. This makes them ideal for ambitious cooks who want to try their hand at making crab apple jelly.