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Trees

Malus × adstringens 'Jay Darling'

crab apple 'Jay Darling'

An upright, deciduous ornamental tree reaching a potential height of up to 10m, with a rounded habit and toothed green foliage changing to crimson-red in the autumn. Large, single, fragrant wine-red flowers appear in the summer followed by small, purple-red fruits

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Ultimate height

8–12 metres

Time to ultimate height

20–50 years

Ultimate spread

Wider than 8 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or North–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Rosaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Spreading branched
Potentially harmful: Although generally edible when cooked, seeds contain toxins so these should be removed if you are considering eating the fruit, usually grown as an ornamental shrub. see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants for further information and useful contact numbers
Genus: Malus are small to medium-sized deciduous trees with showy flowers in spring and ornamental or edible fruit in autumn; some have good autumn foliage colour
Name status: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in moderately fertile soil in a sunny position; will tolerate partial shade. See tree cultivation for further advice

Propagation

Propagate by chip budding in late summer. Grafting can be carried out in midwinter

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Architectural
Cottage and informal garden
Wildlife gardens

Pruning

Pruning group 1

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids, woolly aphid, fruit tree red spider mite and caterpillars may be a problem

Diseases

May be susceptible to apple scab, apple canker, fireblight, powdery mildews and honey fungus

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.

Malus × adstringens 'Jay Darling'

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