Fruit trees in my village - what are they?

[Russel Sprout]

Hi all

There are a couple of fruit trees in my village which I need help ID'ing... I wondered if anyone can help please? I have taken a little fruit from both of them, so if dissecting and adding photos of that would help, please let me know and I'll do so.

Here's photos of the first one:

[Russel Sprout]

And some photos of the second one:









Many thanks

[flynch]

They look like crab apples

[nickdub]

They're both crab apples, the first looks like 'John Downie', the second might be 'Golden Hornet'.

You can use the fruit for making Jam/Jelly when fully ripe.

[Russel Sprout]

Many thanks for the quick replies.

My partner and I both thought crab apples as well (at least for the first one. I only noticed the second tree today when I went to see the first!). She found a recipe for hedgerow ketchup/chutney which said crab apples could be used, and so we went to look at the tree armed with what little knowledge we'd gleamed from a google search.

But whilst there, a chap from one of the neighbouring houses came out and I asked him (about the first tree only). He said he was pretty sure that they are NOT crab apples. He thought maybe quinces; although he wasn't certain on that. He also said he once had a chat with the people who used to live in the house that the trees are outside of, and that they likewise didn't think they were crab apples.

And that's when I thought I'd turn to you guys...

So is there anything I can do or check to see once and for all if they are crab apples or not?

Oh, and one other thing, are they not ripe enough at the moment to use in anything?

Thanks again

[mothhawk]

Yep, crab apples. Cut one open, it'll have an apple core, and will smell appley.

[nickdub]

As Mothhawk wrote, cut them open and look inside - they'll have pips like any other apple, only smaller.

[BUFFS]

I have a tree that we were told was wild pears but it looks like the above green fruit but the tree has big thorns and I don't know what it is, I will take photos when I get a chance, anybody got any ideas as I have seen nothing like it?.....

[veggiechicken]

At a rough guess its a .................Wild pear

The Wild Pear Tree | Pioneer Bushcraft

[nickdub]

Blimey VC I've no idea how you sussed that one out - it's like you have some mystical power :-)

[veggiechicken]

I do, Nick, its called Goggle
A quick search for wild pear and there it was , with big thorns

[BUFFS]

At a rough guess its a .................Wild pear

The Wild Pear Tree | Pioneer Bushcraft

I was told that it was not a wild pear and I assumed I was being told fact, it has an absolute bumper crop on it, can you eat them? if not its gone..... it seems it makes good jam, so that's a relief..

[Snoop Puss]

Thanks for posting this, Max. My mum has the second of your trees in her garden. I thought they were unripe cherries! Just goes to show how little I know about fruit.

[nickdub]

Quite possible to graft dessert varieties of pears to some branches of your tree, if you can get some scions from somebody next year - it will give you fruit much sooner than planting new trees.

Check "cleft-grafting" for an simple method.

[Dalrimple]

we had a siberian crabaple that looked like the first one and dad used to make wine from it and used to be very strong stuff it was for the adults only not for us kids ! never did get to try that brew may even have a go at making some myself (it's got to be more worthwhile than jelly) atb Dal.