Rare apples return to city after 100 years
Cllrs Ali and Burke (far left) helped to plant one of the trees Photo cred: Cardiff Council
What springs to mind when you think of Cardiff? Perhaps Shirley Bassey, arcades and the castle? You might, however, not mention apples.
Yet Gabalfa trees - listed historically as Gabalva - were rare plants that once grew in the grounds of the Bute estate.
They were thought to have been lost until they were found in Carmarthenshire in 2004 and are now making a comeback in the Welsh capital for what is believed to be the first time in 100 years.
Now, three of the trees have been planted in Gabalfa Park as part of a new orchard which is part of Cardiff Council's ‘Coed Caerdydd' urban forest project.
The project aims to increase tree canopy coverage as part of the local authority's One Planet Cardiff response to climate change.
On the project, Cardiff Council cabinet member for culture, parks and events, Cllr Jennifer Burke, said: "Primarily, this is about supporting nature, helping clean the air we all breathe, and tackling climate change.
“That's why we've already planted an area of Cardiff the size of just over 25 Principality Stadium pitches with new trees since Coed Caerdydd began two years ago, and it's why we're aiming to plant another 30,000 new trees this season - but being able to reintroduce a little taste of history to Cardiff's green spaces at the same time is really quite special."
The apples were “good for a late dessert”
The last record of the Gabalfa apple dates back to the Victorian period and the time of renowned horticulturalist Andrew Pettigrew.
Pettigrew was head gardener to the 3rd Marquess of Bute, name, from 1873 to 1901 and described the fruit as "sufficiently good for a late dessert apple, and a very valuable one for culinary purposes".
Mr Pettigrew, who designed Cardiff Castle’s gardens before they became Bute Park, and his sons William and Andrew developed some of Cardiff’s well known parks.
According to Pettigrew, the trees found in the grounds at “Gabalva” were "about 35 feet high, with trunks thicker than a man's body" but rare, as he noted that he had "shown specimens of the fruit to good judges at different times, but none of them knew it."
The Pettigrew family (L to R) Andrew Alexander, William Wallace, Andrew Sr and Hugh Allan Photo cred: Cardiff Council
There will soon be a total of 50 Gabalfa trees in the capital as community volunteers will plant a further 47 in Maitland Park, the Bute Park Community Orchard, and on school grounds during the current planting season.
Around 450 other fruit trees including more varieties of apple, as well as pears, plums and cherries will also be planted this year.
