Apple Tree Api Etoilé - Malus domestica

The Malus domestica Api Etoilé is a very old variety of apple with an original shape, ribbed and presenting 5 well-defined bumps. Very fertile, productive and vigorous, it is a variety resistant to cold up to -25°C, easy to grow in all regions of France. This collection apple tree, with its bushy and ornamental shape, is covered with particularly decorative original fruits in autumn. The Api Etoilé apple is pentagonal in shape, medium-sized, flat in appearance, with a thin skin, green turning yellow at maturity, tinged with pink in the sun. Its white flesh is crunchy, firm, dense, tart and refreshing. Harvested in November-December, the apples can be stored until May. The fruits can be eaten raw from harvest or cooked in pie, compote or sauté. Very aesthetic, they can accompany festive table decorations. It is a self-sterile variety that requires the presence of other apple varieties to improve pollination.

The Malus domestica, scientifically also called Malus communis or Malus pumila, is commonly known as the Common or Domestic Apple Tree. It belongs to the Rosaceae family. Present in France and Europe since ancient times, it is a fruit tree native to the forests of Central Asia. Its hardiness is excellent, and it is probably the most cultivated fruit tree in Northern Europe. There are about 20,000 varieties, including around 10,000 of American origin, 2,000 of English origin, and 2,000 of Chinese origin. The Api Etoilé Apple Tree, also known as the Star Apple, Étoilée Apple Tree or Star Lady Apple, was described in 1605 by the Swiss botanist Jean Bauhin. A similar variety, the Malus domestica Apistar®, is a German Swiss variation that differs from Api Etoilé by its more pronounced ribs.

Ornamental, the Api Etoilé Apple Tree is a tree with an upright, bushy habit that produces numerous long, slender branches. Its foliage consists of large, ovate leaves that are greenish-brown on the upper side and whitish-green on the lower side, deeply toothed. Late flowering occurs after April 15, which generally protects it from frost. This apple tree is therefore suitable for cultivation in all regions of France. The flowers are destroyed by frost from -2 to -3°C. It is a triploid variety, which despite its vigor, produces poor quality pollen, making it very weakly capable of pollinating other apple varieties. It produces apples with few or no viable seeds. It is said to be self-sterile, which is why the presence of apple trees that flower at the same time is necessary. Varieties such as Reinette du Mans, Belle de Pontoise, Reinette d'Armorique, Reine des reinettes, or any other variety with a very late flowering are suitable for cross-pollination. Ornamental crabapple trees such as Perpetu Evereste and John Downie flower abundantly and can be excellent pollinators for apple trees.

The Api Etoilé Apple Tree is a fairly vigorous variety, with rapid fruiting, very fertile, productive and resistant to cold up to -25°C. The fruiting, homogeneous and abundant, takes place from November to December. The fruits are small to medium-sized, pentagonal in shape, flat in appearance, with a thin skin, green turning yellow at maturity, tinged with pink in the sun. The white flesh is crunchy, firm, dense, tart and refreshing. The fruits can be eaten raw from harvest and throughout the winter or cooked in pie, compote or sauté. They can also be used for drying or making apple pastes. Easy to consume, the apple provides a great feeling of satiety. Rich in carbohydrates and fructose, it is invigorating, energizing and hydrating. Its content of vitamins A, B, C and E, minerals, antioxidants and fiber makes the apple a health asset. The fruits can be stored throughout the winter, even until May if harvested late. Storage can be done in a cool, clean place, protected from light at a temperature around 8 to 10°C or in a cold room, sealed from outside air at a temperature of 1 to 3°C. The apple releases ethylene, a gas that promotes fruit ripening. To accelerate the ripening of other fruits or vegetables, place your apples next to them.

The Malus domestica Api Etoilé is a productive variety, bearing fruit biennially, meaning that it produces regularly every year. It is resistant to apple scab, moderately susceptible to powdery mildew, and susceptible to codling moth. In order to obtain high-quality fruits, thinning should be practiced by reducing the number of fruits on the tree. Air pruning, by removing some branches in the center of the tree, will provide light and give the fruits a beautiful coloration. This will also limit the occurrence of diseases. Very aesthetic, the fruits can accompany festive table decorations.

Very popular, thanks to its fruits, the apple tree finds its place in the garden for the pleasure of young and old. Among a very wide range of apple trees, it is easy to find the variety that best suits one's desires.