SPEAKER: Anna Baldwin
TITLE: The interesting world of red fleshed apples

SPEAKER PROFILE:
Having trained as a scientist, Dr Anna L Baldwin pursued a second career in top fruit

and orchards since 2007 learning by apprenticeship. She is interested in

encouraging people to connect with the natural world and decided that teaching how

to care for fruit trees was one way of doing this so becoming an experienced trainer.

Through learning the art of fruit naming, Anna became interested in the parentage of

apple varieties. She lives on the Essex/Suffolk border.

Anna is a member of the Orchard Network, founder member of Essex Orchard

Group (ESORG), Parentage Moderator for www.fruitID.com, and on the panel for the

Register of Local Cultivars.

TALK OUTLINE:

There have been red-fleshed apples grown for a long time ever since apples left the

Tien Shan region of China/Kazakhstan. One group which were bred as ornamentals

but are mistaken for eaters is Malus Niedzwetzkyana which has been generally

known as ‘Wisley Crab’. The origin of this group is not entirely clear, and hybrids

were bred by some eminent Victorians and grown in vicarages and large houses

across Britain.

An investigation of Malus Niezwetzkyana aided by DNA analysis has shown some

surprising results and brought to light some hitherto unknown varieties growing

across England. This has been in collaboration with Royal Horticultural Society and

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the Orchard Network, and many individuals.

Are there more red-fleshed apples to be discovered? Have you any growing near

you?