Kerr crab apple trees

Malus domestica x Malus baccata 'Kerr'

Kerr crab-apples
  • Gardening skill: Suitable for beginners
  • Picking season: Mid
  • Self-fertility: Partially self-fertile
  • Pollination group: 2
  • Uses: Eating fresh
  • Uses: Cooking
  • Uses: Juice

Kerr is an interesting apple / crab-apple cross. The attractive crimson-pink fruits are small by apple standards, but relatively large for a crab-apple.

The fruits are extremely juicy, and have a good rich sweet-tart balance. They can be eaten fresh, but this is first and foremost an apple for juicing.

Kerr has white blossom and is a good pollinator for other early-flowering apple varieties.

Kerr crab apple trees for sale

Item
Mature height*
Price
Quantity
1-year Kerr crab apple trees bare-root
Large (10ft-16ft) mature height
$29.00
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*Find out more about the apple rootstocks we use to control the mature height.


How to grow

Kerr is easy to grow, and very cold-hardy.

Advice on fruit tree pollination.

Historical details

Kerr is a cross between a crab-apple, Malus Dolgo, and Haralson. It can be considered a large-fruited Malus Dolgo in most respects. It was developed at the Morden Research Station of Agriculture Canada in Manitoba, and introduced in the 1950s.

Kerr characteristics

Using

  • Picking season: Mid
  • Uses: Eating fresh Cooking Juice
  • Cropping: Heavy
  • Keeping (of fruit): 3 months or more
  • Flavor style (apples): Sweeter
  • Juice style: Sweeter

Growing

  • Gardening skill: Suitable for beginners
  • Self-fertility: Partially self-fertile
  • Pollination group: 2
  • Pollinating others: Good
  • Ploidy: Diploid
  • Vigour: Slightly large
  • Precocity: Precocious
  • Bearing regularity: Regular
  • Fruit bearing: Spur-bearer
  • Organic culture: Suitable

Disease resistance

  • General resistance: Average
  • Fireblight: Some resistance

Climate

  • Cold hardiness (USDA): (4) -30F / -34C
  • Summer average maximum temperatures: Cool ( 20C - 24C / 68F - 75F) Warm (25C - 30C / 76F - 85F) Hot (>30C / 86F)

Identification

  • Country of origin: Canada
  • Period of origin: 1900 - 1949
  • Fruit color: Red
  • Fruit size: Large

Similar varieties

  • See also Dolgo
    Malus baccata
    Dolgo
    Malus Dolgo, also known as Pink Glow, offers early-season white flowers and dark pink fruits.
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