Squaw Apple, Wild crab apple
Peraphyllum ramosissimum
Family: Rosaceae
What it is like
Peraphyllum ramosissimum is a deciduous Shrub growing to 1.8 m (6ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5. It is in flower from April to May. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.
Height (m): 1.8
Where it is found
Dry hillsides.
Western N. America.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Fruit - raw or cooked. Sour when unripe, the fruits are slightly bitter as they ripen and when fully ripe are sweetish but with a bitter after-taste. Those fruits that have fully ripened and dried on the plant are the sweetest and most desirable. Ripe fruits can also be used in making jellies or prepared like spiced crab apples. Fruits are rarely borne in Britain.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating:
How it is grown
Requires a good well-drained neutral or lime-free loam and the maximum possible sunshine in a sheltered position. Does well in hot dry summers. Closely related to the Amelanchier species.
Propagating it: Seed - we have no information on this species but suggest sowing the seed in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe if this is possible otherwise as soon as stored seed is received. Stored seed is likely to require a period of cold stratification. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse or cold frame for their first winter, planting out in late spring. Layering in spring. Takes 12 months.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge;
Habit: Shrub
Hardiness: 4-8
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Dry, moist