We used to have a crab apple tree that flowered every other year. For about a week, every two years my house became the prettiest home on the street when it bloomed…for about a week in the late spring. Then the winds came, and the blooms blew away and it became a PITA. I don’t like crabapples (although they made a decent wine)…but if you don’t use the crabs you still have to pick them and try to keep them off the lawn beneath. Most of the time it was just another boring old tree.
I wonder if this beauty works like that too?
You could have grafted a decent variety of apple onto that crab apple tree.
ReplyDeleteHad a crab apple tree in our yard for the few years we lived in West Virginia. Didn't have to bother picking them up, couldn't keep the deer out our yard. Every evening around dusk they'd come in and eat every one they could reach. I kinda liked it, but year, I'd try to eat one now and then and just nasty.
ReplyDeleteYep, Dogwood and Bradford pear much the same.
DeleteThe Turks claim they invented "sis kebap" They use crab apple in their Shish Kabob, and it adds to the glory of it.
ReplyDeleteWe had crabapple trees in one of the yards we had growing up - my mother made jams and pies and apple sauce out of the apples - the sauce I found to be inedible, but the pies and jams if also made with strawberries or other sweet fruit were great.
ReplyDeleteGreat slingshot ammo'
ReplyDeleteI miss having crabapple battles, those little bastards would leave welts from kids with good arms and good aim, and no one lost an eye. Better times.
ReplyDeleteA few crabapples added in with apples makes cider with a nice bite to it.
ReplyDeleteMy mom used to make a crabapple pie which was good, but way too labor intensive cutting up enough crabapples for a pie.