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Wild apples are known for their tart flavor and traditionally valued for their ability to support healthy digestion, skin, and oral health.*
Crab apples, called "maíllas" in Spanish, were often used to make cider and liqueurs.
What are the Benefits of Wild Apple
Malus sylvestris is the only indigenous wild apple species in Middle Europe. Wild apples have been used since ancient times, primarily for their tart, refreshing taste in culinary applications and also for their herbal medicine. Rich in antioxidants and fiber, this plant is used in herbalism to support digestion.*
While you mostly see apple foods, the wild apple fruits can be decocted and sipped as tea to comfort seasonal colds. In some European countries, it’s even thought to soothe the body during a fever.* In present-day commerce, wild apples are extracted as a source of antioxidants to support the skin and oral health.*
Folklore & Historical Use of Wild Apple
Tart, wild apples have a unique taste and rich history in traditional foods. They’re used across Europe to make tea, cider, vinegar, preserves, and baked goods. You can also find them infused into alcoholic beverages, like cider and liqueurs, by macerating the apples in liquor for several months.
This ancient plant is also cherished in Europe for soothing respiratory issues and the common cold. In the Balkans, the tradition is to infuse the fruits into vinegar for their medicinal properties, while in Bosnia, the method is to simmer the fruits and flowers into a decoction for sipping and easing seasonal colds.*
Botanical Description & Habitat
The wild apple belongs to the Rosaceae family, a medium-sized family of flowering plants that also includes roses. It’s a deciduous tree that can grow up to 46 feet tall and live for 80-100 years. It grows widely throughout Europe, from South Scandinavia to the Iberian Peninsula, and Eastern Europe, in addition to Central and Western Asia.
Wild apples thrive in woods, scrub, and hedges and favor sparse forests or forest edges due to their light requirements. Despite its adaptability, it remains a rare species and is sometimes considered endangered, as its distribution pattern is generally as a single plant or in small groups. It’s primarily dispersed through mammals, which eat the fruit and disperse the seeds, and with a lack of suitable habitats, it has become more challenging for the plant to regenerate and thrive. With the environment and sustainability in mind, we selectively source our wild apple from FairWild® and organic certified sources.
When To Use Wild Apple
Digestion
Bite into a fresh apple to keep things regular.
Skin Health
Seek high-quality extracts in skincare products.
The Business of Sustainable Plants
Our business is rooted in plants, and for us, it’s a business imperative that we care for the ecosystems where these plants live and thrive. We believe that everything is interconnected, which means supporting ecosystems and the farmers and collectors who harvest and gather our herbs. Finding opportunities to reduce or eliminate emissions at the source, we support organic and regenerative farming practices as well as voluntary certifications like Organic and FairWild. These ensure the absence of pesticides, herbicides, as well as the ongoing sustainability of wild collection, and the health and livelihoods of the collectors who forage. Josef Brinckmann, Traditional Medicinals’ Research Fellow, Medicinal Plants and Botanical Supply, asserts, “Everyone has a role to play in preserving biological diversity. One way of doing that is by equitably supporting the local people to serve as stewards of the land.”
It Starts with Organic
We choose to source organic because we believe in the positive impacts it has on environmental sustainability, biodiversity, and overall ecosystem health. Organic helps us increase transparency while prioritizing consumer well-being and farmer success, which is key to producing the high-quality herbs we source. In 2021, we procured 2.73 million pounds of certified organic herbs, over 99.7% of our total botanical herbs purchased. Volumes were down slightly from FY20 due to timing of inventories received.
The impact from organic farming creates a vital ecosystem through improved soil health, water quality, pollinator habitats, and biodiversity. Organic farms also have increased carbon sequestration potential through long-term carbon storage in the soil, helping to mitigate climate change.
One of the benefits of organic that we most value is farmer health. We care deeply about the people who produce our herbs, ensuring that they are not exposed to synthetic chemicals found in conventional agriculture.
Fair Trade
We believe that everyone deserves a fair wage for hard work. That’s one of the reasons why we’re committed to fair trade. Traditional Medicinals® is a registered Fair Trade “brand holder”, “licensee” and “manufacturer,” and our products are certified by Fair Trade USA, an independent third-party certifier. We were an early adopter of Fair Trade, having launched our first fair trade tea product in 1998, just one year after Fairtrade International (FLO) was established. We continue to work closely with our network of producers to help them to implement fair trade standards and get certified.
Additional Information
Legal Disclaimer
The information and other content in this article are designed to provide a general overview of the botany, cultural history, and traditional uses of this herb. It is not intended and should not be construed as health advice. Every person is unique and you should consult with your health care provider before using any herbal product or supplement.
