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Robert's Crab Apple on G.890 (Spring 2024)


A crabapple with dramatic purple fruit that makes an excellent cider. Also known as Roberts Red.

This tree is self-fertile, precocious, and a heavy cropper. The bloom is profuse and dark pink. With its bronzed leaves and the striking fruit that holds well to the tree, Roberts is an outstanding landscaping addition.

This is a large crabapple, almost apple sized. The fruit has a purple skin with dry, red flesh yielding a juice that is considerably darker than that of other red-fleshed varieties. This fruit is not suitable for fresh eating, but it does make excellent cider, jams, and jellies. Regarding the cider, Dr. Ian Merwin of Black Diamond Cider says that the best rosé cider he has tasted was 100% Roberts Crab.

Fruit photographed at Black Diamond Farm, Trumansburg, NY

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This tree is self-fertile, precocious, and a heavy cropper. The bloom is profuse and dark pink. With its bronzed leaves and the striking fruit that holds well to the tree, Roberts is an outstanding landscaping addition.

This is a large crabapple, almost apple sized. The fruit has a purple skin with dry, red flesh yielding a juice that is considerably darker than that of other red-fleshed varieties. This fruit is not suitable for fresh eating, but it does make excellent cider, jams, and jellies. Regarding the cider, Dr. Ian Merwin of Black Diamond Cider says that the best rosé cider he has tasted was 100% Roberts Crab.

Fruit photographed at Black Diamond Farm, Trumansburg, NY


The Fruit

Fruit Type

Category: Apple
Subcategory: Crabapple, Red Flesh

Fruit Uses & Storage

Uses: cider, jam, jelly
Storage duration: less than one month (approximate, depending on storage conditions)

Fruit Appearance

Skin color: purple
Flesh color: red

Fruit Origins

Parentage:
Origin: United Kingdom
Introduced in:
Introduced by:

The Environment

Calendar & Geography

USDA zones: 5 - 7
Chill hours: Not yet determined
Ripening date: Sep 08 (approximate, in New York State) 7 days before McIntosh

Tree Height & Spacing

Rootstock: G.890 Rootstock
Rootstock size class: Half-Standard (60% of Standard)
Tree spacing (natural spread of tree): 18'
Good for wildlife planting? N

Diseases & Pests

Fireblight: Very Susceptible

Pollination

Pollination Factors

Bloom group: 2
Is it self-fertile? Y
Is it fertile? Y
Ploidy: Diploid
Rootstock size class: Half-Standard (60% of Standard)

Pollination Partners

This table shows the first few results from a full search for pollenizers of Robert's Crab Apple on G.890. Please see our Pollenizer Search to run other queries and read how the application uses various factors. Also read more about fruit tree pollination.

Tree Ships Currently in Stock
Enterprise Apple on G.890 2024 102
Winecrisp™ Apple on G.890 2024 55
CrimsonCrisp™ Apple on G.890 2024 52
St. Edmund's Russet Apple on G.890 2024 49
Macoun Apple on G.890 2024 25
Crimson® Topaz CV. Apple on G.890 2024 19
Pixie Crunch™ Apple on G.890 2024 19
Liberty Apple on G.890 2024 10
Galarina™ X-4982 CV. Apple on G.890 2024 9
Zestar!® Apple on M.7 2024 3
Almata Apple on G.890 2024 2

See all pollination matches for Robert's Crab Apple on G.890






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