Old Fruit Tree Varieties

Accounting for tastes
The Urdenbacher Kämpe nature reserve is home to more than fifty varieties of apples and pears, including some very old, specialized cultivars. Stored in a cool place, some will keep until Easter. Some are best eaten fresh, others make excellent apple sauce or pie. The range of different tastes is impressive.

Old apple varieties are often rich in Vitamin C and many are suitable for people who are normally allergic to apples. The Haus Bürgel Eco Centre cares for the fruit trees in the nature reserve and so helps preserve the gene pool.

Wet feet – no problem!
Although there are also a few plum trees, most of the fruit trees in the nature reserve's meadow orchards are standard apples and pears for which the mild wetland climate and nutrient-rich soil is ideal. The regular flooding that occurs in spring or autumn does not seem to harm them in the least. Cherry trees, on the other hand, do not like getting their feet wet and are therefore rare in the nature reserve.