Lane's Prince Albert apple Malus domestica 'Lane's Prince Albert' (C)
ABOUT
The 'Lane's Prince Albert' apple tree is known for its delightful visual characteristics. The tree exhibits a robust structure with a canopy that spreads to create an umbrella-like shape, offering a picturesque aesthetic. During the spring, it becomes adorned with beautiful blossoms. The flowers are generally pink in bud, revealing white petals when fully opened, providing a stark and lovely contrast against the emerging green foliage. As the seasons progress, the foliage turns into a deep green, making it a vibrant backdrop for the developing fruits. The apples themselves are particularly attractive, featuring a classic apple appearance with a round shape and a skin that exhibits a mix of green and red hues. The surface of the apples typically shows a more greenish background color, overlaid with red flushes and streaks, giving each apple a unique pattern. The skin of the apple may also have a waxy texture, which can give the fruit a soft sheen. When bitten into or cut open, the inside reveals a creamy white to pale yellow flesh that is crisp and juicy, tempting one to enjoy the fruit directly off the tree. As autumn approaches, the apples reach maturity, and the tree becomes heavy with the bounty of the season. The sight of the branches laden with these distinctively colored fruits adds to the tree’s ornamental value, making it not only a source of delicious apples but also a visually pleasing addition to any space where it is grown.
About this plant
NamesSynonyms
Lane's Prince Albert Apple, Prince Albert.
Common names
Malus domestica 'Lane's Prince Albert'
CharacteristicsLife cycle
Perennials
Foliage type
Deciduous
Color of leaves
Green
Flower color
White
Height
12-15 feet [3.7-4.6 meters]
Spread
12-15 feet [3.7-4.6 meters]
Plant type
Tree
Hardiness zones
5
Native area
Asia
Benefits
General Benefits- Provides fruits: The Apple is well-known for its edible fruits, which are versatile in cooking and can be eaten fresh.
- Aesthetic appeal: An Apple tree can add beauty to a landscape with its blossoms in spring and fruit in the autumn.
- Shade provider: It can offer shade in gardens and outdoor living areas during the hotter months.
- Supports biodiversity: Apple trees can support a variety of wildlife, including bees during bloom and birds that feed on the fruit.
- Cultural significance: Apples have a place in various cultural traditions and festivities, often symbolizing health and harvest.
- Educational opportunities: Gardening with an Apple tree can be a learning experience about botany, fruit cultivation, and the cycle of seasons.
Medical PropertiesThis plant is not used for medical purposes.
Air-purifying QualitiesThis plant is not specifically known for air purifying qualities.
Other Uses- As a natural dye source: The bark and leaves of the apple tree can be used to create natural dyes for textiles, giving a range of shades from yellow to brown.
- In woodworking and carpentry: Apple wood is valued for its fine grain and is often used for specialty wood products such as carving, tool handles, and furniture inlays.
- For educational purposes: The apple tree lifecycle and cross-pollination process are commonly used as educational tools in schools to teach students about plant biology.
- In art and symbolism: Apple trees and their fruit are frequently featured in art and literature as symbols of knowledge, beauty, and temptation, often inspiring creative works.
- As smoking wood for cooking: Apple wood can be used for smoking meats, providing a sweet and fruity flavor to barbecues and smoked dishes.
- In cider vinegar production: Beyond eating, apples from this variety can be fermented into cider vinegar, which is used in cooking, cleaning, and as a natural preservative.
- For musical instruments: The hardwood of apple trees can sometimes be utilized in the making of musical instruments, like woodwind instruments, due to its density and acoustic properties.
- In photography: Apple blossom and trees are popular subjects for photographers, especially in the spring when the blossoms are in full bloom.
- As a base for grafting: Apple trees, including the 'Lane's Prince Albert' variety, can serve as rootstocks for grafting other apple varieties to control size and improve disease resistance.
- In animal feed: The fallen apples can be a source of food for livestock and wildlife, contributing to the diet of various animals like deer, rabbits, and horses.
Interesting Facts
Feng ShuiThe Apple Tree is not used in Feng Shui practice.
Zodiac Sign CompitabilityThe Apple Tree is not used in astrology practice.
Plant Symbolism- Knowledge: This apple cultivar is often associated with knowledge and wisdom, echoing the fruit's role in the biblical story of Adam and Eve.
- Youthfulness: Apples are commonly associated with youth and vitality, perhaps due to their crisp, fresh taste.
- Health: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" is a familiar saying that reflects the fruit's reputation for promoting good health.
- Fertility: Apples are also symbolic of fertility and abundance, as apple trees typically produce a bountiful harvest.
- Love: In many cultures, apples are seen as a token of love and are often associated with goddesses of love, like Aphrodite.
WaterWater the apple tree, commonly known as 'Lane's Prince Albert', deeply and thoroughly once a week during the growing season, ensuring that you provide about 5 gallons of water each time. During the hotter summer months, it may require additional watering, possibly twice a week, especially if the weather is dry. Always check the soil moisture before watering; the soil should be moist but not waterlogged. Cut back on watering as the tree enters dormancy in the fall. In the winter, watering is only necessary during extended dry spells.
LightThe 'Lane's Prince Albert' apple tree thrives in full sunlight. It prefers a spot that receives at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight each day. Ensure the tree is not shaded by buildings or other trees for the best fruit production.
TemperatureThe ideal temperature range for the 'Lane's Prince Albert' apple tree is between 32°F and 75°F. It can withstand winter temperatures as low as -20°F once established, but young trees are more sensitive to frost. The tree enters dormancy during the winter, which is essential for its chilling requirement to produce fruit in the following season.
PruningPruning the 'Lane's Prince Albert' apple tree is necessary to maintain its shape, remove dead or diseased wood, and ensure good air circulation, which reduces the risk of fungal infections. Prune the tree during its dormancy in late winter or early spring, before new growth starts. Thin out crowded branches and cut back any that are growing inward to maintain an open canopy. Pruning should be done annually for the health and productivity of the tree.
CleaningAs needed
SoilApple trees like 'Lane's Prince Albert' thrive in well-draining, loamy soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. The best soil mix would include equal parts garden soil, compost, and some sand or perlite for improved drainage. Mulching around the base can help retain moisture and maintain soil health.
RepottingLane's Prince Albert apple trees, being large fruit trees, do not require frequent repotting. Instead of repotting, they are planted directly in the ground where they remain and grow. They may be transferred to larger pots or repositioned only if they outgrow their initial planting location or for grafting purposes.
Humidity & MistingApple trees like 'Lane's Prince Albert' are adaptable to a wide range of humidity levels and do not require specific humidity conditions. Typical outdoor humidity is sufficient as they are hardy and grow well in most climates where apples are farmed.
Suitable locationsIndoor
Not suitable for indoor growth; needs outdoor conditions.
Outdoor
Plant in sunny spot with well-draining soil, water regularly, prune yearly.
Hardiness zone
4-8 USDA
Life cycleThe 'Lane's Prince Albert' apple tree, commonly known as simply 'Prince Albert', begins its life as a dormant bare-root sapling or grafted nursery specimen, which when planted in early spring, starts to develop roots and shoots. As temperatures warm, leaves and blossoms emerge, with the white to pale pink flowers pollinated by insects, resulting in the formation of fruit. Throughout the summer, the apples grow and mature, typically ready for harvest in late summer to early autumn. After fruiting, the tree enters a period of dormancy during the colder months, shedding leaves and conserving energy for the next growing season. Pruning takes place in winter while the tree is dormant, stimulating growth and fruit production for the following year. This cycle repeats annually, with the apple tree potentially living and bearing fruit for several decades.
PropogationPropogation time
Late winter to early spring
The most popular method of propagating Malus domestica 'Lane's Prince Albert', commonly known as the apple tree, is through grafting. This technique is typically performed in late winter to early spring, before the sap starts to flow. Scion wood, which is a cutting from a desirable apple variety, is carefully selected, typically comprising of last year’s growth. The grafting process involves splicing the scion wood onto a rootstock, which is a young tree or root system chosen for its vigor and adaptability to soil conditions. The cut surfaces of both scion and rootstock are matched together and bound tightly, often with grafting tape, ensuring that the cambium layers (the growth layers of the plants) are in contact. This union is kept wrapped until the graft has taken, which usually occurs over several weeks, allowing the scion to fuse with the rootstock and grow into a new apple tree.
