2022 Status of the wild apple collection

Recent high-resolution genomic analysis by USDA shows that some of the apples previously thought to be Malus sieversii are hybrid (or in a few cases just plain domestic apples). As a result, we’re updating our own information. If you have a grafted apple from us, you can determine its idenity with the table below.

The upshot is that we don’t have as many pure wild trees as we had thought. However, most of those that aren’t wild are hybrids, and still have some wild apple genes unlikely to be found in North American domestic apples. We’re keeping them for that reason.

Widespread Malus Wild and/or Central Asian apples
IDSPECIESURL TO USDA DATA
 
  PI 656998
 
  Malus sieversii  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1692553
 
  PI 657017
 
  Malus sieversii  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1692683
 
  PI 657041
 
  Malus sieversii  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1692882
 
  PI 657044
 
  Malus sieversii  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1692903
 
  PI 657047
 
  Malus sieversii  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1692918
 
  PI 657053
 
  Malus sieversii  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1692943
 
  PI 657106
 
  Malus sieversii  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1693683
 
  PI 657107
 
  Malus sieversii  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1693695
 
  PI 657110
 
  Malus sieversii  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1694013
 
  PI 657111
 
  Malus sieversii  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1694029
 
  PI 657112
 
  Malus sieversii  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1694032
 
  PI 657114
 
  Malus sieversii  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1694084
 
  PI 657117
 
  Malus sieversii  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1694095
 
  PI 657120
 
  Malus sieversii  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1694101
 
  PI 657752
 
  Malus sieversii  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1795202
 
  PI 657754
 
  Malus sieversii  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1795204
 
  PI 657755
 
  Malus sieversii  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1795205
 
  PI 657756
 
  Malus sieversii  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1795206
 
  PI 657757
 
  Malus sieversii  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1795207
 
  PI 657758
 
  Malus sieversii  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1795208
 
  PI 657759
 
  Malus sieversii  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1795209
 
  PI 657760
 
  Malus sieversii  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1795210
 
  PI 657761
 
  Malus sieversii  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1795211
 
  PI 657762
 
  Malus sieversii  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1795212
 
  PI 633830
 
  Malus orientalis  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1652481
 
  PI 633831
 
  Malus orientalis  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1652482
 
  PI 666155
 
  Malus orientalis  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1905467
 
  PI 650945
 
  hybrid  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1693589
 
  PI 657008
 
  hybrid  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1692625
 
  PI 657010
 
  hybrid  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1692633
 
  PI 657021
 
  hybrid  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1692726
 
  PI 657085
 
  hybrid  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1693279
 
  PI 657089
 
  hybrid  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1693368
 
  PI 657090
 
  hybrid  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1693412
 
  PI 657093
 
  hybrid  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1693493
 
  PI 657096
 
  hybrid  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1693563
 
  PI 657097
 
  hybrid  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1693566
 
  PI 657099
 
  hybrid  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1693574
 
  PI 657105
 
  hybrid  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1693679
 
  PI 657109
 
  hybrid  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1694003
 
  PI 657113
 
  hybrid  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1694054
 
  PI 657116
 
  hybrid  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1694092
 
  PI 633920
 
  Malus domestica  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1653306
 
  PI 657100
 
  Malus domestica  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1693584
 
  PI 657101
 
  Malus domestica  https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail.aspx?id=1693590

Who’s doing what with apple biodiversity?

I thought it would be nice to have a list of projects working to protect apple biodiversity in North America (or elsewhere, if any readers can add information in the comments). Here’s a start:

  • Widespread Malus … that’s us! Working to build a highly diverse collection of Malus sieversii, as well as distribute scions, grafted trees, and seedlings.
  • Apple Diversity Group … a collaboration between Dalhousie University and Agriculture Canada, this group’s Apple Biodiversity Collection in Nova Scotia has 1000+ different apples, including about a hundred Malus sieversii.
  • USDA Plant Genetic Resources Unit … located in Geneva, NY, USDA PGRU maintains one of the world’s most extensive apple collections, including diverse wild apples (M. sieversii, M. orientalis, and others). Interested members of the public may request open-pollinated M. sieversii seed from PGRU.
  • Temperate Orchard Conservancy … located in Oregon, TOC is replicating the Botner Collection (perhaps the largest private collection of apples in the world … 4,500 different apples).
  • Montezuma Orchard Restoration Project … promoting apples and orchards in Montezuma County, Colorado and around the state. Also locating and propagating rare Colorado Heritage apples.
  • North American Fruit Explorers … a group of folks interested in all kinds of fruit. There are quite a few members with their own diverse collections of apples and other fruit. Visit the web site or the facebook page.
  • Seed Savers Exchange … not just for seeds! Iowa-based SSE has quite a nice collection of apples (hundreds), and numerous members who share apple scions with other members.
  • Agrarian Sharing Network … is sharing diverse fruit and vegetable material in the Pacific Northwest. ASN has done extensive evaluations and cloning of the Botner collection and several other large bioregional collections, and is involved in a number of propagation fairs.

Can you help us add more projects to this list? Please send us an email!