[Overview]
An ornamental cultivar of apple.
A deciduous shrub to small tree.
Leaves are simple and alternate, elliptic to ovate, with awn-like tips and serrate margins.
Some cultivars have purple leaves.
Several flowers are borne in a cyme; they are 5-petaled, white to red.
The fruit is a pome 2–3 cm across, ripening red or yellow.
The flesh is the developed receptacle.
The calyx persists at the top of the fruit.
The fruit is very sour, but it can be eaten if processed, for example into jam.
[Cultivation]
Propagate by cuttings or grafting.
It prefers a sunny, well-drained, well-ventilated place with moderate moisture.
Avoid dry places and places exposed to strong afternoon sun.
It prefers a cool environment, so potted plants are best moved to airy partial shade in summer.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient unless summer brings a long spell of sunny weather and the soil dries out.
If you want to harvest the fruit, keeping the plant slightly on the dry side makes the fruit sweeter.
Apply organic fertilizer in spring and autumn.
Pests and diseases include scab, fire blight, longhorn beetles and aphids.
