Malus Sieversii, wild crabapple from Kazakhstan.

In 2018 there are apples on some of my Malus Sieversii trees. The apples are very different in size and tast. Some have become small decorative crab apples. Some like cider apples, sour and bitter. Some, however, looks and taste as today's eating apples.

About Malus Sieversii
The wild origin for eating apple is probably the species Malus Sieversii. It is a tree that still exist in the wild in the mountains of Central Asia, ie. southern Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Xinjiang province of China. Researchers are working in these years with material from M. sieversii which is resistant to many diseases and pests. The aim is to create more robust and healthy apple varieties by crossing the genes from this original species into modern apples.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) made ​​expeditions to Central Asia, particularly Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Seeds and scions was collected from the wild apple trees (Malus sieversii). Nearly 130,000 seeds from 950 wild M. sieversii trees were collected eight different places, mostly in Kazakhstan on four collection trips from 1989 to 1996.

In conjunction with Cornell University, Geneva, New York, are created an orchard with Malus sieversii trees for use in research, teaching and development.

December 2009 I received apple seeds from Malus sieversii (collected in Kazakhstan) from the USDA, Cornell University, Geneva, New York. The seeds were collected 7 different locations in Kazakhstan. More information about the collections.

September 2010 I have received Malus sieversii seeds from some of the apple trees that stand in the orchard in New York. See the seeds.