Bach Flower Remedies
Crab Apple

Malus sylvestris

Crab apple is a small tree growing up to 10m. Crab apple likes light and space and so will often grow in hedges and clearings where a small group can stand together, self-sown with the help of birds who break up the fruits. Generally it resembles other apples, though the young leaves are only slightly hairy beneath and the young shoots are not covered by woolly down as they are in domestic apples or naturalized cider apples. The dark green leaves (40-50mm) are toothed and often have a partially red stalk, which is more noticeable in autumn when the small golden apples (30-40mm) also make identification easier. The buds are blushed with pink, the flowers white, five-petalled (25 mm) and delightfully scented. Like the pear it flowers earlier than domestic apples, though pear blossom has a white bud. There are many ornamental crab apples that have been imported for their exotic blossom and fancy fruits and these should be recognized as different. The domestic apple (M. domestica) will revert in time to crab if it seeds into the wild, but the apples are tinged red and not the true golden yellow of the wild crab apple.

Flowering Period

Crab apple flowers in May.

Preparation

Crab apple is prepared by the boiling method. Pick the whole cluster of flowers and leaves where they grow at the end of the twigs. Select flowers in perfect bloom from several different trees.

Uses

The cleansing remedy.

Those who benefit from this remedy feel there is something unpleasant about themselves that needs to be cleansed from their system. It may be a sense of contamination, for example if they have come into contact with infection or poison, or they may feel disgusted with themselves for having overeaten. In the Crab Apple state, these feelings are much greater than the mild distaste that most people would experience in similar circumstances, and can escalate to obsession or compulsion. When ill, Crab Apple people feel diseased and contaminated by whatever is wrong with them. Any disfigurement, blemish or symptom is exaggerated in their minds, and because they have a general tendency to be over concerned with detail and trivialities they dwell on minor symptoms to the exclusion of everything else.

Another characteristic of Crab Apple people is that they dislike the way they look and so think of themselves as ugly. They may be revolted by their own bodies and those of others - bodily functions offend Crab Apple people greatly. They cannot bear to be dirty or to live in a dirty environment and so tend to be overly house-proud, obsessively tidying and cleaning.

This over desire for cleanliness is evident in animals who display excessive grooming habits. Cats and dogs who constantly lick themselves or nibble obsessively at their fur could benefit from Crab Apple. Others that seem to have a distaste for eating or mating or defecating might benefit as well.

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