Crab Apple ‘John Downie’ Tree 60/80cm (2L)
Malus sylvestris
£24.99
Crab Apple ‘John Downie’ is a stunning ornamental tree beloved in UK gardens. It offers a spectacular spring display of pink-white blossom, followed by large, colourful crab apples in autumn. This medium-sized tree is prized for its beauty, wildlife value, and fruit perfect for making jellies.
- ✓ Crab Apple (Malus 'John Downie') tree with stunning white flowers and red-orange fruits.
- ✓ Hardy and disease-resistant variety, suitable for various climates.
- ✓ Provides year-round interest with beautiful blossoms in spring and colourful fruit in autumn.
- ✓ Ideal for small gardens, urban landscapes, or as a pollinator-friendly tree.
- ✓ Quality UK stock from Yarrow Gardens - DEFRA Registered Supplier
Sorry, out of stock at the moment
Crab Apple ‘John Downie’ is a true star of the UK garden, offering beauty and interest throughout the year. In spring, this tree puts on a magnificent show with masses of pink buds that open into large, white flowers with a hint of pink. The blossom is not only beautiful but also fragrant, filling the air with a sweet scent that attracts bees and other pollinators in droves.
As spring turns to summer, the tree is clothed in oval, dark green leaves that provide a perfect backdrop for the developing fruits. It’s in autumn when ‘John Downie’ really comes into its own. The fruits, which are larger than many crab apples, ripen to a striking orange-red colour. They hang in abundant clusters, looking like festive decorations against the changing autumn leaves.
The fruits of ‘John Downie’ are not only ornamental but also highly practical. They’re prized for making crab apple jelly, having a good balance of pectin and acidity that creates a beautifully set preserve. Any fruits left on the tree provide a vital food source for birds in winter, adding movement and life to the garden during the colder months.
This variety typically grows to about 6-8 metres tall and wide over 20 years, making it suitable for medium to large gardens. It has an attractive, rounded crown that needs little pruning to maintain its shape. Even in winter, its graceful branching structure adds interest to the garden.
‘John Downie’ is more than just a pretty tree. It’s a haven for wildlife, with its flowers feeding bees and butterflies, its fruits feeding birds, and its branches providing nesting sites. It’s also an excellent pollinator for other apple trees, making it a great addition to a fruit garden.
The tree is known for its hardiness and disease resistance, making it a reliable choice for UK gardens. It can tolerate a range of soil types and conditions, though it prefers well-drained soil and a sunny position to produce the best fruit crop.
Whether you’re looking for a beautiful ornamental tree, a source of fruit for preserves, or a way to support garden wildlife, Crab Apple ‘John Downie’ is an excellent choice. It’s a tree that brings life and colour to the garden throughout the year, making it a true favourite among UK gardeners.
Plant ‘John Downie’ in full sun or partial shade in well-drained soil. Water regularly when young, and during dry spells once established. Prune in winter to maintain shape. Apply a balanced fertiliser in spring. It’s generally disease-resistant but watch for apple scab in wet years. Fully hardy in the UK, it doesn’t need frost protection.
Supplied about 60-80cm high in a 2 litre pot.
Season of Interest
Spring, Autumn
Sunlight
Full Shade, Partial Shade, Partial Sun
Pot Size
2 litre
Foliage
Deciduous
Foliage Colour
Green
Flower Colour
White
Hardiness
-20°C to -15°C (H6)
When MatureSafety
Pollen Allergies
Watering
Moderate
Preferred Soil Type
Any well drained soil
Preferred Soil pH
Any Soil Type
Fragrance
Moderate
Delivery
Yarrow Gardens aim to have your order with you in fastest time possible and safest method of transport. Dependent on the parcel size and geographical destination in mind with will select the most suitable courier.
You are welcome to collect any times from our nursery in Euxton, Lancashire. Please contact us to arrange a suitable date and time.
With regret, we can no longer send items out to Northern Ireland. All live plants need a phytosanitary checks and DAERA must be notified. This process is simply too expensive at the moment.
Returns
In the rare instance that your item has been damaged during delivery or incorrectly shipped by us, please contact us and we will be happy to discuss the return and replacement of your item.
Once you have contacted us and we have confirmation that your parcel is on its way back to us we will be happy to issue a refund for the return postage.
Delivery Class | Delivery Cost | |
---|---|---|
Royal Mail Letter - Royal Mail Tracked | £3.25 (Flat) | |
Royal Mail Letter - Royal Mail Second Class | £0.95 (Flat) | |
Royal Mail Large Letter - Royal Mail Tracked | £3.25 (Flat) | |
Royal Mail Large Letter - Royal Mail Second Class | £2.10 (Flat) | |
Standard Items - Standard Courier (Parcelforce) | £7.95 (Flat) | This item |
Standard Items - Standard Courier (Evri) | £4.49 (Flat) | This item |
Medium Items - Standard Courier (Parcelforce) | £7.95 (Flat) | |
Large Items - Pallet Courier | £90.00 (Flat) | |
Large Items - Standard Courier (Parcelforce) | £28.95 (Flat) | |
Large Items - Standard Courier (Parcel Force) | £24.95 (Flat) | |
Pallet Courier - Pallet Courier | £90.00 (Flat) |
We are a small family business based in Euxton, West Lancashire. We specialise in the supply of trees, shrubs both bare root & cell grown. Much of our stock is grown directly on site from seed or cuttings. Other stock is all UK sourced where possible.
We adhere to industry leading biosecurity measures, this ensures that our nursery remains clean and disease free.
We are DEFRA registered and our nursery is regularly inspected to confirm compliance with all current plant and plant health regulations.
Our Plant Passport Registration Number is GB140010
You can view our Plant Healthy report here.
We are actively working towards the Grown in Britain certification along with the Plant Healthy certification.
Should you have any concern or question in respect of our plant health matters, please get in touch.