John Downie

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JJohn Downie is one of the most popular crab-apples in the UK, featuring traditional white blossom and very attractive bright orange-red fruitlets, with a distinctive upside-down pear shape.

It is perhaps the definitive variety for making crab apple jelly, which will usually be a pale pink colour.

It grows with a more upright habit than most other crab-apple varieties, and will fit in a relatively small space.

Growing and Training

John Downie is not as disease resistant as most other crab apple varieties as it can be somewhat prone to apple scab (although this does not affect the cooking quality of the fruit), however it is still easy to grow.

It grows in a more upright style than most crab apple varieties.

History

John Downie was raised in the 1870s by Edward Holmes, a nurseryman from Lichfield, England. He named it after his friend and fellow nurseryman John Downie.

John Downie characteristics

• Gardening skillAverage
• Self-fertile?Self-fertile
• Pollinating othersGood
• Pick seasonLate
• Food usesCulinary
• Country of originUnited Kingdom
• Period of origin1850 - 1899
• Fruit colourOrange / Red

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