Apple - Crab apple Malus sylvestris, orchard apple Malus domestica (1m)

THIS MONTH: Apple - Crab apple Malus sylvestris, orchard apple Malus domestica

Crab apple Malus sylvestris, orchard apple Malus domestica. The apple is one of the three legendary magical fruit - hazel, apple and oak - that together were said to satisfy all mankind's needs. It is also one of the seven chieftain trees of Britain and as such potently pagan. The apple is a symbol of plenty and in the ancient myths and legends it is a symbol of love, beauty, wisdom and fruitfulness. It has been used for love, immortality and healing spells since time began.
Aphrodite was the supreme goddess of love and beauty. Her symbol was the apple which when cut in two revealed the five-pointed star in the shape of the pips. In the sacred garden of the Hesperides grew the sacred apple tree with a serpent coiled around its roots. This tree was a gift from Gaia, Mother Earth to the goddess Hera on her marriage to Zeus. The tree was tended by nine maidens, representatives of Aphrodite. The Celts knew the serpent as the goddess Cerridwen and in Greek and Celtic as well as Norse mythology the fruit of the sacred apple conferred immortality.
Nemesis, goddess of divine retribution, carried an apple branch, which she gave as a gift to heroes so that their names should live forever. An apple tree is very often given as a gift to a boy on his christening.
In western legend, the orchards of paradise are known as the Isles of the Blessed, where the Tree of Knowledge grows, bearing three sacred apples. As the preferred host of mistletoe the apple was especially sacred to the Druids, the essence of the apples on the Tree of Knowledge coming from three drops that fell from Meriden's caldron drops that originally descended from heaven. a symbolic of the three pillars of the cabalistic Tree of Life representing male and female aspects and their "united expression".
In legends of Britain there are many stories surrounding the apple. In the Voyage of Bran, a woman holding an apple branch lures the warrior god of the Welsh, she is an aspect of the White Goddess summoning Bran to enter the paradise of the faerie Emain. The amaranthine apple orchard, Land of Eternal Youth. Merlin too speaks of the Queen of the Faeries who gives out apples to bestow the gift of prophecy. There is of course the legendary Avalon, sacred Isle of the Apple Trees, where King Arthur was taken to be healed of his terrible wounds. Avalon is said to be centred around Glastonbury surrounded by ancient apple orchards. Sadly so very many were felled to make way for the concrete jungle we are living in today.
Then there is the ancient practice of Wassailing, drinking a communal toast to the trees of the orchard after harvest, to give thanks for the bounty of their fruit. Roasted crab apples are an essential part of the traditional drink.
The crab apple is the ancient mother of all orchard trees and Britain's only indigenous apple tree. It is a member of the rose family and is a small, beautiful, delightful tree especially in flower or fruit. Many species have been lost, however Wildings, the trees grown from old apple cores still preserve the genetic material of old varieties.
Both the crab apple and the orchard apple have sweet scented flowers opening in late spring and are generally five petalled and white tinged with pink and the leaves are oval, pointed and toothed. The flowers are valuable to insects and the fruit is important to birds.
Planet Venus, Stone Emerald, Polarity Feminine, Element Water.
Deities Gaia, Aphrodite, Hera, Pomona, Nemesis, Astarte, Ashtaroth, Ishtar, Cerridwen, Olwen, Gwen, Arwen, Shekinah, Freya, Iduna.
Faith + Gratitude, Love + Trust, Generosity + Abundance, Self Esteem, Works of Destiny
The Birthday tree will come dressed in a hessian bag, tied with a green satin ribbon, the colour symbolizing the Apple, a hand written message card & planting instructions. With it will come the myths & folklore of the apple & the Celtic tree calendar.
Crab Apple Tree, height 100cm (39¼").