#114 SOULARD CRABAPPLE
Malus × soulardii
Planted: 1924
This tree is near the centre of the Malus Avenue, on the north side.
| Distribution: | A natural hybrid between North American Malus ionensis and introduced Malus domestica, which is found occasionally in the Mississippi basin. |
| Planting Date: | 1924,purchased from W Clibran and Sons, Oldfield Nursery, Altringham, Cheshire |
| Growth Habit: | Small tree or shrub, with thorn-like spurs. |
| Bark: | Bark dark red-brown to grey, with reddish scales. Branchlets reddish grey, hairy at first. Buds red-brown, ovoid, about 3–4 mm, scale margins tomentose. |
| Leaf: | Leaves on vigorous shoots usually ovate. The blade 3 to 9( maybe 12) × 1.5 to 4 (maybe 6) cm. Base cuneate to rounded, margins lobed and variably toothed, apex acute to rounded, tomentose beneath, more or less glabrous above; petiole 15 to 30 mm, hairy. Flowering shoot leaves are elliptic to ovate, and smaller, the blade 2 to 5 × 1–2 cm, only sometimes lobed, petiole 5 to 20 mm. |
| Flowers: | Inflorescence a corymb of 4 to 6 flowers; peduncle absent; pedicels 1.5 to 3 cm, hairy. Somewhat fragrant, 3.5 to 5 cm diameter, April to May. Sepals triangular with acuminate apex, 3 to 7 mm, hoary on both surfaces. Petals oblong to obovate, 14 to 20 mm, pink, sometimes ageing white. Stamens 20, 8 to 16 mm, anthers pink before dehiscence; styles 5, 9 to 15 mm, more or less equalling the stamens. |
| Fruit: | Green or yellow, waxy, astringent, September to October. Depressed-globose, 2 to 3 cm diameter, with erect sepals; stone cells abundant around the core. |
| Toxicity: | Not known |
| Potential tree size | Up to 10 m in height. |
| Uses: | Chiefly grown for its flowers, scented and usefully late. In older specimens the attractively peeling bark can be a bonus, and it is capable of good orange-red autumn colour. Various wildlife consume the fruit. |
| Plant Hunter: | Malus ioensis was discovered circa 1840 by E. A. Bechtel, The Staunton Nursery, in the wild in Illinois, United States. |
| Introduction Date: | Introduced to Kew in 1906 |
| Anecdotes and Comments: |
