Woody > Malus > Malus domestica > Malus domestica 'Cornish Custard'
Malus domestica
'Cornish Custard'
Cornish Custard Apple
Origin: A dessert apple, dating back to the early 19th century and probably older.
| Family |
| Rosaceae |
| Genus |
| Malus |
| Species |
| domestica |
| Cultivar |
| 'Cornish Custard' |
| Category |
| Woody |
| Type |
| Tree (deciduous) |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 3-8 |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| 4-9 |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| -34 |
| Temperature (°C) |
| 20 |
| Height |
| 5 - 8 m |
| Spread |
| 4 - 5 m |
Photographs
Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| Landscape |
| The tree can be used in hedgerows, ornamentally or grown for its fruit. The small tree is very tolerant to cold temperatures and thrives well in cool, moist microclimates. |
| Cultivation |
| Grow in full sun to partial shade in moist conditions preferring well-drained, loamy type soils. It will tolerate poor soil conditions but size and quality of the fruit is diminished. It is a frost hardy species and responds well to pruning in winter |
| Shape |
| An upright, spreading habit. |
| Growth |
| Medium |
| Pests |
| A good disease resistance cultivar, particularly to scab and canker. |
| Habitat |
| Horticultural origin. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| Bark is a grey-brown colour with a thick, scaly, rough texture. The twigs of the tree vary from a grey to reddish colour. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description |
| Small glabrous red buds, often tomentose, to about .5 cm. |
| Leaf Description |
| The dark green, simple, alternate, leaves are oval shaped, are 3-10 cm in length with a serrated margin and a lighter green underside. |
| Flower Description |
| The flowers, emerging in the spring, are white with a red-pink underside. They are cup-shaped with five petals, ranging in size from 8-10 cm. Each flower has many red stamens, copious amounts of pollen and are perfect in form. |
| Fruit Description |
| Medium-sized, ribbed, with a red-flushed, russeted skin. |
| Texture Description |
| Both summer and winter texture of the plant is coarse. |
| Notable Specimens |
| Cotehele House National Trust, St Dominick, Cornwall, United Kingdom. |
| Propagation |
| Generally domestic apple cultivars are propagated through grafting. Grafting occurs in the winter when both scion and rootstock are dormant. Summer budding is also another technique used to propagate desirable cultivars with very little use today for the parent plant M. x domestica. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer) |
| The fruit is eatable and is used in traditional cider making. Apple wood is used as a fuel and is admired for the blue-green flames it produces during burning. The wood may also be used in the production of furniture and household utensils such as bowls. |
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