Harry Baker

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Malus 'Harry Baker' is a popular crab-apple with good spring and autumn appeal. The spring blossom is and intense dark-pink blossom, whilst in autumn the maroon-coloured fruits are very attractive and hang on the tree after the leaves have fallen.

Harry Baker is one of the best varieties for making crab-apple jelly. The fruits, which ripen fairly late in the season, have a pink / red flesh which lends an attractive dark red hue to the resulting jelly, rather like the colour of red wine. The flesh is usefully high in pectin too.

Unusually for a variety with dark-pink blossom and dark red fruits, the leaves are green rather than bronze, although young leaves have a hint of bronze.

Growing and Training

Harry Baker produces a resonably compact tree and is likely to reach 3m-4m on a semi-vigorous rootstock.  It is a good pollinator for mid and late-flowering apple trees.

History

This crab-apple was named in honour of Harry Baker, Fruit Officer of the RHS at Wisley in the 1980s, and the author of several books on fruit trees and soft fruits.

Harry Baker characteristics

• Gardening skillAverage
• Fruit persistenceRipens over a period
• Self-fertile?Self-fertile
• Pollinating othersGood
• Pick seasonLate
• Picking monthSeptemberOctober
• Picking periodearly October
• Keeping2-3 weeks
• Food usesCulinary
• Country of originUnited Kingdom
• Period of origin1950 - 1999
• Fruit colourRed

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