Malus 'Roberts Crab'
Roberts Crab is an unusual crab-apple, grown both for its attractive ornamental qualities, and for culinary uses.
The abundant spring blossom is dark pink, and the leaves have a bronze tint.
Ripening in late summer, the crab-apples have an unusual dark purple color. They are also very large - the size of small apples.
The main attraction in the kitchen is that the purple fruits have a rich red flesh, making Roberts Crab an excellent variety for crab-apple jams and jellies.
The red flesh also contains anthocynanin compounds, which may have anti-oxidant qualities. A 2009 study by researchers at USDA found Roberts Crab to have particularly high levels of Cyanidin-3-0-galactoside.
The juice is a dark red claret color, which is darker than that of other red-fleshed crab-apples. The juice flavor is sharp and crab-like, and can be used in hard cider blends.
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Unlike most crab apples this variety is not a good pollinator of other apple varieties..
Roberts Crab is very precocious, and is likely to blossom and fruit within a 1-2 years after planting. It grows with an attractive upright spreading form and is reasonably vigorous.
Advice on fruit tree pollination.
This variety description was researched and written by Orange Pippin staff. Last checked: 2024.