| General Information |
| Common Name | Apple, Orchard Apple |
| Scientific Name | Malus domestica |
| Sun Tolerance | Full Sun |
| Height | 1.8 - 9 m (6 - 30 ft) |
| Spread | 1.8 -4.6 m (6 - 15 ft) |
| Growth Rate | Moderate |
| Bloom Time | Spring |
| Color | Green |
| Flower Color | White |
| Type | Tree |
| Native | Asia, Europe, USA |
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| Classification |
| Kingdom | Plantae – Plants |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta – Vascular plants |
| Superdivision | Spermatophyta – Seed plants |
| Division | Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants |
| Class | Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons |
| Subclass | Rosidae |
| Order | Rosales |
| Family | Rosaceae – Rose family |
| Genus | Malus Mill. – apple |
| Species | M. domestica |
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| Malus domestica - Apple |
Malus domestica common name is the Apple also called Orchard apple. Apple is the most popular in the world. The apple is very delicious and healthy fruit too. People all over the world love apple. It is one of the most widely cultivated fruit tree, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apples grow on small, deciduous trees. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, Malus sieversii, is still found today. Apples have been grown for thousands of years in Asia and Europe, and were brought to North America by European colonists. Apples have been present in the mythology and religions of many cultures, including Norse, Greek and Christian traditions. There are more than 7,500 known cultivars of apples, resulting in a range of desired characteristics. About 69 million tons of apples were grown worldwide in 2010, and China produced almost half of this total.
The apple forms a tree that is small and it grows 1.8 - 4.6 m (6 - 15 ft) tall in height. Generally apple tree grows up to 9.1 m (30 ft) in the wild. When cultivated, the size, shape and branch density is determined by rootstock selection and trimming method. The leaves are alternately dark green-colored simple ovals with serrated margins and slightly downy undersides.
The apple blooms in spring. The 3 to 4 cm (1.2 to 1.6 in) flowers are white with a pink tinge that gradually fades. The flowers have five petals and these can be seen later in the form of carpels, which hold the seeds, when the fruit develops. If you cut an apple horizontally, the five carpels are displayed in a star formation, much like the petals of the flowers. The fruit matures in autumn, and varieties exist with a wide range of sizes that is 7.0 to 8.3 cm (2.75 to 3.25 in) in diameter. The skin of ripe apples is generally red, yellow, green or pink and some of them are multi-colored.
