
Bardsey Apple
Malus domestica 'Bardsey' This amazing apple comes from the windswept Bardsey Island off the coast of Wales. The tree grows in an area right next to a house where it is protected from sea winds and salt spray. The tree flowers early in the season; the fruit is pink striped over a yellow base and is picked in Wales in late September and stored until November. These characteristics make it a candidate to do well in maritime climates in the U.S. Bardsey Island has long been associated with religious activity. Pre-Roman Celts visited the Island to pray and often to die on this most western isle, and during early Christian times Bardsey was a place of pilgrimage. Three trips to Bardsey Island were said to equal a pilgrimage to Rome. Anybody buried on Bardsey was said to be guaranteed eternal salvation. Because of this, some people today think the Bardsey Apple could be connected to the mystical power of the island. Raintree is working with Permacultural landscaper Bruce Weiskotten to intro