Malus Domestica belongs to the Rosaceae Juss family and the Malus Hill genus. The cultivated apple, Malus domestica Borkh, belongs to the Pomoideae subfamily of the Rosaceae.The genus is native to the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere, in Europe, Asia and North America.
It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits. It is a small deciduous tree from 6-15 ft (3-12 m) tall in cultivation. The trunk diameter reaches 3 ft (90 cm). The tree size and shape is heavily dependent on rootstock and training system used. The Malus canopy is broad; often a densely twiggy crown, sometimes spherical or ovoid. The shoots remain pubescence for a long time and the buds are ovoid-conical.
The leaves are alternately arranged, simple, oval, with an acute tip and rounded or weakly heart-shaped base serrated margin. They are dark green with light pubescence on underside, 2-6 in (5-12 cm) long and 1.5-3 in (3-6 cm) broad on a 1-2 in (2-5 cm) petiole. The leafstalk is no more than 1/3 of the blade length.
The white flowers are 1-1.5 in (2.5-3.5 cm) diameter with five petals. The petals are white when open, but have red-pink undersides when opening, hence the "pink" bloom stage, with usually red stamens that produce copious pollen. The ovary is inferior, embedded in the floral cup or hypanthium, containing 5 locules, usually 2 ovules per locule. The inflorescence is a cymes of 4-6 flowers, with the center flower opening first; the central flower is often called the "King bloom", and has the potential to produce a larger fruit than other flowers.
The flowers are produced terminally from mixed buds (containing both leaves and flowers) on spurs, or to a lesser extent on long shoots. Spurs form on 2-yr-old and older wood, and generally grow only a fraction of an inch each year. The apples require cross-pollination between individuals by insects (typically bees, which freely visit the flowers, for both nectar and pollen); all are self-sterile, and self-pollination is impossible making pollinating insects essential. The honeybee is the most effective pollinator of apples. Malus species, including domestic apples, hybridize freely. The Malus Domestica flowers in April-June and bears fruit in August-October (December).
The fruit matures in autumn, and is typically 2-4 in (5-8 cm) diameter (rarely up to 15 cm). Fruits differ by shape, size (usually more than 3 cm diameter), color and texture of peel, time of maturity and keeping quality. The fruits have sour, sour-sweet or sweet taste. The centre of the fruit contains five carpels arranged star-like, each containing one to two (rarely three) seeds. The apples reach maturity about 120-150 days after bloom, with some cultivars maturing in as short as 70 days, and others as long as 180 days.
Hardiness zones: 4-11 (-32c/-25f, 4c/40f) For the Malus Domestica a deep, well-drained, loamy soil with 6-7 pH is best, but they are grown on a wide variety of soils worldwide. Apple trees grow and bear good fruits on loamy and sandy soils, but on sandy soils they need the introduction of organic fertilizations. The trees do require good drainage, and heavy soils or flat land should be tilled to make certain that the root systems are never in saturated soil. They do require some protection from the wind and should not be planted in low areas that are prone to late spring frosts. They have a more northern range than many other tree fruits due to relatively late blooming and extreme cold hardiness. Their life duration is 30-100 (on average 60-70) years