Apple Seedlings

The Domestic Apple is a thought to be a hybrid mixture of at least four different wild species including Malus sylvestris, M. pumila, M. dasyhylla and M. sieversii. The words 'seedling', 'pippin', and 'kernel' in the name of an apple cultivar suggest that it originated as a seedling. Most apple cultivars originate as seedlings, which either arise by chance or are bred by deliberately crossing cultivars with promising characteristics. In either case, the Domestic Apple is an excellent food source for wildlife. Its fragrant blossoms are an attraction to birds, bees and butterflies from April through May. The fruit ripens in the fall of the year.