Scotland’s wildest wild apples gathered for a ‘genetic refuge’
A genetic refuge for Scotland’s wildest crab apple trees has been established at Woodland Trust Scotland’s Glen Finglas Estate in the Trossachs.
A seed stand of 59 trees was planted by staff and volunteers beside Loch Venachar after a five-year search to find the wildest crab apples around the country.
Twigs cut from pure wild apple trees in Galloway, Argyll and Ross-shire were grafted to root stock to create the new orchard.
Truly wild crab apple (Malus sylvestris) is one of the rarest trees in Scotland. Precise details are known for only around 300.
The Trust wants a source of truly wild crab apple seeds to plant as part of woodland creation schemes. It’s been working in partnership with forestry consultant Rick Worrell to gather the wild stock to establish the seed stand at Loch Venachar.
‘Most apple trees people see in the countryside are not truly native,’ explains Rick. ‘They are often the result of cores from eating-apples being discarded.’
‘Apples love to hybridise so there is a wide spectrum of trees out there with varying proportions of wild and domestic genes.’
The new orchard was planted using grafts from truly native trees, which underwent genetic testing by the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
Planting for the future: Rick Worrell and WTS Ranger Gwen Raes. Image: Matilda Scharsach / WTML.
Postcode lottery: helping to purchase the land
Players of People’s Postcode Lottery helped buy the land where the orchard has been planted.
The seed stand has been established with no domestic or hybrid apple trees nearby, to avoid the chance of cross pollination.
Woodland Trust Scotland volunteers will be looking after the site where 29 more trees will be added next year.
‘We can’t wait to see the apple trees in blossom in the spring, and to begin to harvest the seed in years to come, to grow on for our planting projects,’ explains Matilda Scharsach, The Trust’s Volunteering Development Officer.
‘If we hadn’t taken steps to create this new orchard preserving the wildest native stock, there was a real prospect of losing them forever.’
